Divergent Perspectives Race, Trust, and Human Rights Concerns in Public Perceptions Towards AI Policing Technologies in Canada

Abstract

This study presents findings from the first nationally representative examination of public perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in Canadian law enforcement. Drawing on a sample of 2,014 Canadians , with deliberate oversampling of Black and Indigenous respondents, this quantitative study investigates whether awareness of AI in policing varies by race; how Black and Indigenous peoples evaluate specific AI applications; what ethical and governance concerns racialized communities express; and what conditions communities believe must be in place for AI-assisted policing to be considered legitimate. Findings reveal that nearly 70% of respondents had minimal awareness of AI in policing yet held strong governance expectations once informed. Notably, Black and South Asian respondents expressed higher levels of support than White respondents, while Indigenous respondents reported the lowest confidence in AI's public safety benefits, police transparency, and ethical governance. These divergent patterns challenge monolithic framings of racialized opposition and suggest that the relationship between lived experiences of discriminatory policing and technology acceptance is considerably more complex than existing discourse acknowledges. Across all groups, over 70% identified transparency, independent oversight, and federal regulation as foundational conditions for legitimacy, underscoring that AI governance is necessary.