Police must adopt AI to stay ahead of criminals, expert warns

Police forces across the region risk falling behind criminal organisations if they fail to adopt artificial intelligence technologies, according to a criminology expert from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). P Sundramoorthy cautioned that law enforcement agencies cannot afford to ignore AI's potential in modern crime-fighting, particularly as criminal networks increasingly leverage advanced technologies. However, Sundramoorthy emphasised that artificial intelligence is not a panacea and cannot function as a replacement for human intelligence and investigative work. The technology works best as a complementary tool that can process vast amounts of data, identify patterns and support decision-making by trained officers. Sundramoorthy's assessment comes amid growing recognition across Asia-Pacific law enforcement communities that technological innovation is critical to combating evolving criminal threats. Police agencies implementing AI-driven systems for predictive policing, suspect identification and evidence analysis have reported improvements in case resolution rates and resource allocation. The expert stressed that successful implementation requires investment in both technology infrastructure and officer training to ensure AI tools are used effectively and responsibly within existing legal frameworks.