Technological Advances in Anti Trafficking Efforts: The role of AI in Enhancing Criminal Justice Responses

Abstract

Human Trafficking has become one of the most severe and topical concerns in everyday people’s lives worldwide. Through incorporation of new technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), it has been given with various novel approaches. This paper involves use of AI in combating Human Trafficking with special reference to identification of victims by the Thorn organization, focusing on the child sexual exploitation. In this research, the investigation uses qualitative case study research method; and this is evident mainly in the literature analysis. Several key success factors are also identified and brought out again as the findings: the combination of AI with other approaches, the efficiency of AI related methodologies, and integration of number of methodologies. However, there are several issues identified by authors such as quality and availability of data, ethical issues of AI, question of how algorithms perform or are prejudiced, question of how far AI can go. The best practices highlighted therefore involve catering to the feedback from the users, keen ethical practices surrounding the AI and most importantly being open to the best practices with the flexibility to adapt those practices even encourage people’s collaboration in the use of those measures. Moreover, general recommendations to entire AI spectrum in handling Human Trafficking was discussed while providing specific recommendations to Sri Lanka under five main themes of enhancing of data collection, ethical AI practice, fostering collaboration, improving adaptability and scaling of AI solutions derived through Thorn case study. Finally, it was concluded that the Thorn case study as a success story where AI was abled to combat Human Trafficking with having more opportunities to develop customized platforms around the world.