AI in policing may lead to targeting marginalised neighbourhoods: CJI DY Chandrachud
Bengaluru: Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has cautioned against the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the criminal justice system, highlighting the risk of systemic biases being perpetuated through data used to train these technologies. Delivering the keynote address at the 11th Annual Conference of the Berkeley Centre for Comparative Equality and Antidiscrimination Law, organized by the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, the CJI emphasized the potential for AI to disproportionately target marginalized communities.
CJI Chandrachud explained that if historical crime data used for AI algorithms reflect existing biases or systemic inequalities, these algorithms may continue to identify the same marginalized neighbourhoods as "high-risk" areas. "This can result in disproportionate surveillance and policing of already marginalized communities, exacerbating social inequalities and perpetuating cycles of discrimination," he stated.
The Chief Justice also pointed out the opacity of predictive policing algorithms, which often function as black boxes with non-transparent internal workings. He stressed the importance of "contextualization" in addressing AI challenges in India, given the country's diverse demographic patterns characterized by linguistic diversity, regional variations, and cultural nuances.
"We need to be vigilant about the origins of data and its potential biases, scrutinize the algorithms we employ for transparency and fairness, and actively seek to mitigate any unintended discriminatory effects," CJI Chandrachud urged, advocating for ethical and equitable engagement with AI.
Addressing broader issues of inequality, CJI Chandrachud linked climate change to social inequities, noting that marginalized groups such as women, children, disabled individuals, and indigenous people face heightened risks. He pointed out that wealthier individuals often have the means to protect themselves against climate impacts, while poorer communities are more vulnerable due to a lack of resources.
"Inequality thus becomes both a cause and consequence of climate change," he remarked, emphasizing the need for climate justice that recognizes differential impacts and involves affected communities in decision-making processes.
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Ramdas Athawale backs Fadnavis as Maharashtra CM; says Shinde can shift to Centre
New Delhi, Nov 26: RPI(A) leader Ramdas Athawale, a key BJP ally, on Tuesday called for a quick decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra and suggested that incumbent Eknath Shinde should shift to the Centre as a Union minister.
Addressing a press conference here, Athawale also backed senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, contending that the saffron party won the maximum number of seats in the 288-member Assembly and should have the right to the top executive post in the state.
He said a peculiar situation has arisen in Maharashtra where BJP leaders want Fadnavis as the chief minister, while Shiv Sena leaders want Shinde to continue in the post, citing the good work he has done over the last two and a half years.
Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has declared that he was not in the race for the chief minister.
"We need to resolve this matter, without any further delay. The election results were announced on November 23 and we should have had the oath of the new chief minister on November 26, the Constitution Day," Athawale said.
Backing Fadnavis for the post of chief minister, Athawale said Shinde can become the deputy chief minister or shift to the Centre and join the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Athawale said his RPI(A) has a presence in every part of the state, but unfortunately lost the two seats -- Dharavi and Kalina -- offered to it in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.
He demanded that an RPI member be made an MLC and a minister in the state government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections winning 235 seats in the 288-member House. The BJP won 132 seats, followed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena (57) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP (41). Smaller parties, who are part of the alliance, won five seats.
