Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Justice for her assessment of the (i) opportunities; and (ii) challenges for her Department in relation to the development of Artificial Intelligence.
Minister of Justice: (i) As the understanding of AI technology develops, the Department of Justice welcomes the wide range of opportunities available to consider how it might be used. One example area is the processing and analysis of large amounts of diverse data to look for new trends, a task common to many of the Criminal Justice Organisations. The Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime (EPPOC) have recently completed a proof-of-concept pilot to develop a management dashboard with underlying AI capability. Through this type of work the Department gains the knowledge to make the best use of the new technology in the future. Another example is the use of AI to enhance the capabilities in Forensic Analysis and early work is underway to consider the potential opportunities in this area. My officials also look to our suppliers for opportunities to use AI, and in all new tenders for the development of business solutions, we welcome input from the bidders on potential uses for AI to provide a better end product and help us meet our business requirements.
(ii) The Department of Justice recognises that new technology brings new challenges and it is important we take the time to fully understand these and to make sure that appropriate safeguards are in place. Already the Department has adopted a NICS policy on the use of AI which follows an internal approval process. This ensures a full assessment of the risk is carried out before any business areas proceeds with a consideration to use AI for a task in the Department.
ENDS
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