Hallam helps law enforcement agencies use Artificial Intelligence against high priority threats

Society Safety Technology

A computer screen with the cursor pointing at text that reads "security"

The STARLIGHT project has 52 partners including 15 Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and public bodies from across Europe. With a budget of €18,8M funded by the European Commission, it is the largest research project on AI and security Sheffield Hallam has participated in.

The four-year project will be coordinated by The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). The university’s Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC) is the project’s innovation lead, while the overall project aims to improve the widespread understanding of legal and ethical usage of AI across law enforcement agencies, reinforcing their investigative and cybersecurity operations and helping them to combat the misuse of AI-supported crime and terrorism. CENTRIC will lead on various innovation related activities including policy development and making recommendations on the standardisation practices for AI implementations.

STARLIGHT will also help law enforcement agencies exploit AI tools and solutions in their work and ensure that they can protect their own AI systems through privacy, better cybersecurity tools and knowledge.

The use of AI will be an essential tool for LEAs to make sense of the large amounts of data they face in increasingly digitally driven investigations.

Professor Babak Akhgar, Director of CENTRIC and innovation manager of STARLIGHT project said: “By delivering ground-breaking research, advanced technological capabilities, professional expertise and training to law enforcement and other security stakeholders, CENTRIC is in a unique position to offer innovative solutions informed by the operational reality of modern-day law enforcement.

“The increasing complexity of security challenges, combined with the accumulation of large amounts of digital data, calls for better and more widespread use of Artificial Intelligence capabilities within law enforcement.

“The STARLIGHT project will improve law enforcement agencies capabilities on combating crime, using AI whilst upholding legal and ethical values.”

For more information about the STARLIGHT project follow @Starlight_H2020 on Twitter, or visit the Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

The team can also be contacted on starlight@cea.fr.

STARLIGHT has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101021797.