Why Italy's most advanced predictive policing start-up is on the brink of collapse.

The term 'predictive policing' refers to algorithms based on artificial intelligence, aimed at identifying in advance how a possible crime will unfold: who will commit it, where and when. This kind of technology began to develop as early as the first decade of the 2000s, peaking around 2017. Now, in 2024, Italy's most advanced startup risks closing down.

The sector has been targeted for the inevitable vicious circle often put in place: if a hotspot is identified and patrols are increased, it is obvious that more arrests will be made, prompting the algorithm to consider this area as more prone to crime. The start-up in question, known as 'KeyCrime', on the other hand, has never used such a scheme, thus obviating the problem.

KeyCrime is, in simple terms, the automation of work already done by police officers: the software is responsible for finding connections within data entered specifically by those in charge, thus determining which crimes have been committed by which individual. As a result of the AI act, unfortunately, the start-up is in danger of closing down, as it does not have enough resources to wait for proper regulation.