'Murder prediction' algorithms echo some of Stalin's most horrific policies — governments are treading a very dangerous line in pursuing them

Lady justice with a circle of neon blue and a dark background.

Describing the horrors of communism under Stalin and others, Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote in his magnum opus, "The Gulag Archipelago," that "the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being." Indeed, under the communist regime, citizens were removed from society before they could cause harm to it. This removal, which often entailed a trip to the labor camp from which many did not return, took place in a manner that deprived the accused of due process. In many cases, the mere suspicion or even hint that an act against the regime might occur was enough to earn a one way ticket with little to no recourse. The underlying premise here that the officials knew when someone might commit a transgression. In other words, law enforcement knew where that line lies in people’s hearts.

Akhil Bhardwaj is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization at the University of Bath, UK. He studies extreme events, which range from organizational disasters to radical innovation. (Image credit: Akhil Bhardwaj)