The UK Border Force is set to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) to verify the ages of child asylum seekers, as part of a new pilot scheme announced by the Home Office. The technology aims to address ongoing controversies surrounding age disputes in immigration cases.
How the AI System Will Work
The proposed system will use a combination of facial recognition and biometric analysis to estimate an individual's age. Officials stress that the technology will only form part of the assessment process, alongside existing methods including:
- Document verification
- Maturity indicators
- Social worker evaluations
Controversy Over Current Methods
Current age assessment procedures have faced criticism for being inconsistent and sometimes leading to incorrect determinations. The Home Office claims the AI approach could:
- Reduce processing times
- Minimize subjective judgments
- Provide more consistent results
Privacy and Ethical Concerns
Civil liberty groups have raised concerns about the potential for:
- Data protection issues
- Algorithmic bias
- Over-reliance on technology for sensitive decisions
A Home Office spokesperson stated: "This technology will be used carefully and transparently, with appropriate safeguards in place."
Next Steps
The pilot programme is expected to begin in select processing centres later this year, with a full evaluation planned before any potential wider rollout.
