AI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next year
The UK government plans to implement an AI tool to estimate the ages of asylum seekers starting next year. This technology aims to identify adult migrants falsely claiming to be children, following concerns about the accuracy of current age assessment methods. Human rights organizations have raised objections, arguing that the use of AI could undermine protections for vulnerable children.
- ▪The AI age estimation tool will be deployed at UK borders to detect adult migrants posing as children.
- ▪A total of 111,084 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2025, a 14% increase from the previous year.
- ▪43% of migrants claiming to be children were found to be adults during age assessments conducted at the border.
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AI will be used to estimate age of asylum seekers from next yearJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJoshua NevettPolitical reporterPA MediaAn Artificial Intelligence (AI) age estimation tool that aims to detect adult migrants posing as children will be deployed at the UK's borders next year.A software company has been awarded a contract to develop and test the technology, which will estimate a person's age by analysing photographs of them taken at the border.The Home Office says the technology will make it easier to identify adult migrants "attempting to game the system", after initial testing indicated "promising performance and accuracy".But Human Rights Watch urged the government to scrap the scheme, describing it as "unproven technology" that will undermine the protections…
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