Should Police Departments Use Robot-interrogators?
We’ve all seen the movies where a suspect is uncooperative and can’t be trusted not to escape, so the interrogators call in an artificially intelligent robot for assistance. In reality, police departments around the world are using virtual and augmented reality as new methods of interrogation. In addition to old standbys like one-way mirrors and hidden cameras, some departments are experimenting with AI-powered interrogator robots like EMQ or eM^ software. These new technologies offer many benefits, including quicker and more detailed information from suspects without the risk of cross-contamination or stress on both parties. However, their use also raises ethical considerations about privacy, trust, and respect for suspects as human beings rather than just potential criminal perpetrators.
Many fictional police departments use robot interrogators to extract information from suspects. But should real-life police departments also use them? Robots have the potential to be an excellent tool for police officers. They can help them do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. But before police officers can use robots, police leaders must consider several things:
- The robot must be safe for people and the environment.
- There must be proper training for police officers on how to interact with robots.
- There must be an understanding of how the robot works.
If the police consider all these things, robots could one day play an important role in policing. But until then, they remain just tools that can help police officers save time and make their jobs easy
Robots in interrogations have become a hot topic in recent years, with many fictional police departments using robot interrogators to extract information from suspects. But should real-life police departments also use them? A 2015 study by the University of California, Berkeley, found that while there was some evidence to suggest that robots could be helpful in interrogation, the technology was still very much in its infancy and would require significant improvements before police organisations use it on a large scale. “Robots are not yet ready for prime time,” the study concluded. “But it’s a question we’ll have to answer sooner rather than later.” As for whether robots should be allowed on the job at all, that’s another matter entirely. In countries like Japan and China, where the tradition of Confucianism and loyalty to authority is strong, working under an overseer can be seen as an honour. But in the U.S., where there is more tolerance of questioning authority, police officers are generally expected to put their conscience first when dealing with suspects they may view as criminals or enemies. The courts in several countries have ruled that it is unconstitutional for police officers to force confessions out of suspects without first establishing the probable cause of crime commitment.
In fiction, police departments often use robots to interrogate suspects. In reality, there is no clear evidence that they work. One study found that interrogators who don’t know what a suspect looks like are far more effective than those who do. And another found that robot interrogators were no more likely to get a confession or produce a false confession than traditional human ones. One possible reason: The robots may be unable to read body language as well as humans. If the suspect appears nervous, the robot might infer that he’s lying and press him harder than necessary.
In addition, it could be hard for a robot to tell when someone is being deceptive or withholding information without human input. Some law enforcement agencies have already started using artificial intelligence in their investigations, including facial recognition software and video analysis. But for now, there’s no evidence that robots are a better way to extract information from suspects than humans.
What is an EMQ?
An EMQ, or Enhanced-Modus-Q, is a computer-generated virtual or augmented reality interrogation chamber. This technology allows suspects to be questioned remotely by an AI-powered, human-seeming robot while the suspect is in another room. As a result, it reduces the cross-contamination risk to the officer examining the suspect and the stress associated with face-to-face questioning. EMQs can also collect information from the interrogation room, including the suspect’s body language, heartbeat, and other biological signs. This data is then recorded and analysed by AI-powered software, allowing the interrogator to search for inconsistencies or abnormalities in the suspect’s responses.
Should Police Use EMQs?
In addition to being helpful for suspects who may be particularly nervous about being questioned face-to-face, EMQs can offer greater detail about the suspect’s connection to the crime, partly due to the suspect being questioned in an isolated environment rather than in the presence of other people. This data can include information about their emotional and mental state, which can be essential factors in interrogation. In addition, the virtual or augmented reality inside the robot’s interrogation chamber allows the interrogator to call up relevant images, video clips, and other forms of data, helping them better understand the suspect’s mental state and motivations for committing the crime.
Are there any downsides to using EMQs?
There are some downsides to using EMQs that are worth considering before being implemented in police departments worldwide. For one, there is the possibility that a suspect could obfuscate their true feelings and mental state. Although EMQs pick up on the suspect’s body language, mental state, and other details, they can fake these things. In addition, although virtual and augmented reality interrogation chambers can offer greater detail from the suspect, they also present the interrogator with more information to sort through.
Augmented reality interrogations
Augmented reality interrogations combine the benefits of virtual reality interrogations with the help of real-life interrogation. In addition to all of the benefits of virtual reality interrogations, augmented reality interrogations allow the suspect to remain in the interrogation room rather than being moved to a remote location which means that the officer questioning the suspect can use their actual body language and heart rate to feed data into the AI-powered software and see the suspect’s reactions to the questions. It also allows the interrogator to use their natural voice and body language. Hence, Augmented Reality interrogations offer all of the benefits of virtual reality interrogations while allowing the officer to maintain eye contact with the suspect.
Virtual reality interrogations
Virtual reality interrogations are the most advanced form of AI-powered interrogation. In a virtual reality interrogation, the suspect wears a set of goggles that completely block their view of the interrogation room and replace it with a virtual environment. This environment can be designed to elicit a specific emotional response from the suspect and can include audio and images designed to elicit specific emotional reactions. Virtual reality interrogations are particularly useful for interrogating uncooperative suspects or emotionally unstable. They can also help interrogate people from other cultures or who speak a different language since the virtual environment can be designed in any way the interrogator wishes.
Conclusion
When used correctly, virtual and augmented reality interrogation methods offer many benefits, including quicker and more detailed information from suspects without the risk of cross-contamination or stress on both parties. However, their use also raises ethical considerations about privacy, trust, and respect for suspects as human beings rather than just potential criminal perpetrators. Virtual reality interrogations can elicit emotions and mental states from suspects in ways that are difficult or impossible in real life. Although this offers significant benefits to police departments, it also raises questions about using such technologies and whether they are appropriate for modern society.
Dr.K. Jayanth Murali is an IPS Officer belonging to 1991 batch. He is borne on Tamil Nadu cadre. He lives with his family in Chennai, India. He is currently serving the Government of Tamil Nadu as Director General of Police, Idol Wing CID.