William - stock.adobe.com Metropolitan Police chief warns against law updates amid substantial tech expansion The Metropolitan Police is set to significantly expand its use of AI, drones and facial recognition in a bid to ‘regain the advantage’ over criminals, but commissioner Mark Rowley warns that progress could be held back by updated legislation and a lack of data integration in and between forces Metropolitan Police commissioner Mark Rowley has set out the force’s plan to drastically upscale its use of artificial intelligence (AI), live facial recognition (LFR) and drone technologies, as part of a wider warning against police-specific technology legislation. Speaking on 24 June, he presented the case for change in how the Met approaches technology deployment and integration, arguing that “policing today will fail if it is not allowed to keep pace with criminals” who are increasingly “organised, networked and digital”. To “regain the advantage”, Rowley said the use of new technologies was imperative, helping police integrate and exploit the colossal amounts of data they already hold, save money and build trust. As part of his warning, Rowley also announced a major roll-out of drone operations across the capital, the introduction of static live facial recognition cameras across central London, and the increased use of AI to analyse video evidence in criminal investigations. Highlighting how the introduction of technologies such as fingerprinting or body-worn video were initially met with strong public concern when they were introduced, he said “the lesson from nearly 200 years of policing” is that while new tech often meets resistance, it becomes “indispensable” when used responsibility and proves its worth. However, Rowley also took aim at campaign groups, which he accused of “slowing progress” with their calls for legislation on new technologies such as LFR. “We already operate within a robust legislative framework … and