Computer vision in law enforcement: implications for the rule of law

Rengers, Emma Maria (2026). Computer vision in law enforcement: implications for the rule of law. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Computer vision systems, or applications of artificial intelligence which automatically analyse images and videos, can be used to establish fact-situations relevant to the enforcement of legal rules. Through object, person, and action recognition, and more general ‘visual scene understanding’, computer vision systems purport to be able to establish the presence of phenomena which can make legal rules ‘bite’. This means that the outputs of such systems may be used to inform and legitimise the use of coercive force used by law enforcement authorities. Where computer vision outputs inform the use of coercive force by the state, it is crucial that these outputs are arrived at in a way that is authorised by law, responsible, and sensitive to the legal context in which the technologies operate. This dissertation presents an interdisciplinary investigation into the points of contact between computer vision systems and the enforcement of legal rules, using the conceptual lens of ‘algorithmic regulation’. I argue that the use of computer vision technologies to establish fact-situations may introduce various kinds of arbitrariness into law enforcement practices and may thereby pose a threat to the rule of law.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):