Post 9/11, counter-terrorism decision-making processes are increasingly reliant on predictive technologies, including surveillance, drone and satellite imaging, big data analytics, and automated algorithms. Dr Krebs will discuss the effects of predictive technologies, and the opaque epistemologies they entail, on counter-terrorism decision-making processes. Her research identifies and demonstrates three problems stemming from technology-assisted counter-terrorism decision-making: first, the outputs of predictive technologies are often perceived as objective, complete, and neutral, masking the subjective and speculative elements involved in their production. Second, the combination of predictive technologies and opaque epistemology embraces uncertainty as the baseline for knowledge, resulting in a transition from juridical to administrative decision-making process. As a result, data-generated avatars replace the real persons – or the actual conditions on the ground – with no effective way available to refute these virtual representations. Third, erroneous decisions often remain unaccounted for, as technology systems are being blamed for mistaken, technology-assisted, human decisions.
She will also offer several recommendations to better incorporate technology-generated data into counter-terrorism decision-making processes
Dr. Shiri Krebs is an Associate Professor at Deakin University’s Law School, and Co-Lead, Law and Policy Theme, at the Australian Government Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC). She also serves as Research Division Leader, Law, Regulation, and Strategic Policy, at Deakin’s Cyber Security Research and Innovation Centre (CSRI). Dr Krebs is an affiliated scholar at Stanford University’s Centre for International Security and cooperation (CISAC). Dr Krebs’ research focuses on algorithmic bias and drone data vulnerabilities, data privacy, and human-machine interaction in technology-assisted legal decision-making, at the intersection of law, science and technology. Her scholarship has been published at leading international law and general law journals and has been supported by a number of research grants, including, most recently, from the Australian Government Cyber Security Cooperative research Centre. Dr Krebs earned her Doctorate and Master Degrees from Stanford Law School, as well as LL.B. and M.A., both magna cum laude, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.