Finnish Government: AI Helps in Proactive Policing

The FERMI project has developed an AI-based tool that can help police identify threats early and plan preventive actions. Disinformation has served as a testbed for the project.

Social media and online environments have changed how information is communicated and enabled the rapid spread of fake news and disinformation. Misinformation spread online can, for example, stir up social unrest or incite crime.

The Police University College was involved in the international FERMI (Fake nEws Risk MItigator) project, in which disinformation served as a testbed for developing AI tools for the authorities. AI was used to analyze how false information spreads online and the kinds of risks this may cause. These experiments have made it possible to test how AI can, for example, help the police to identify various threats in time and plan preventive actions.

The tool is able to identify the topic and likely origin of fake news, as well as how quickly disinformation is spreading. The tool can help the police to assess disinformation and analyze potential real-world impacts. It also provides authorities with proposals for countermeasures.

“Going forward, the police could use the tool to analyze, for example, whether more police officers need to be allocated to an area, but the tool still requires further development in this respect,” says Project Manager Jenita Rauta at the Police University College.

Education is key to the responsible use of AI

The Police University College produced educational material on the use of AI-based tools for the project. Planning the educational content was based on anticipation and proactive policing. The aim is to enable as many authorities in Europe as possible to benefit from the education.

“We aimed to use educational material to highlight how technology has been used and can be used in the future to assess risks and support police decision-making. New AI-based tools can offer opportunities for proactive policing across Europe,” explains Coordinator Miia Sainio.

However, AI is not just a technical tool, and its use in the work of the authorities raises many ethical questions.

“A key aspect of the educational content is the ethical use of AI. The police need to understand how AI works and how it can be used securely and responsibly. Even where AI is used, it is humans who make the decisions.”

A total of 17 organizations in Europe were involved in the three-year FERMI project. The Ministry of the Interior also participated in the project from Finland. The project was funded by the EU Horizon 2021 initiative.