Artificial Intelligence and Crime Prediction: Ethical and Legal Concerns

ABSTRACT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming modern law enforcement by enabling crime prediction, risk assessment, and targeted policing. AI-driven tools, such as facial recognition, predictive algorithms, and recidivism scoring systems, offer data-driven efficiencies that promise safer communities. However, their growing adoption raises serious ethical and legal concerns. This paper critically examines issues including algorithmic bias, opaque decision-making, mass surveillance, and violations of due process. Such tools as COMPAS in the U.S. have uncovered racially biased outputs, and predictive policing tends to disproportionately target marginalized groups. The article discusses salient constitutional safeguards under Indian and global law, surveys pertinent judicial precedents, and evaluates regulatory proposals such as the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and ethics frameworks such as the Menlo Report. It advocates enhanced oversight, fairness audits, and human-in-the-loop checks to guard against abuse. Finally, AI in criminal justice needs to be balanced with civil liberties, so that it promotes democratic principles and does not erode them.