Key Points

Trade-Offs with Error Rates: A consequentialist system optimised for accuracy might still show unequal error rates across demographic groups. For example, if African-American defendants have a higher false positive rate, the consequentialist might argue that, while unfortunate, this trade-off is justified if the system’s overall predictive reliability contributes to greater societal benefit. 

Net Positive Outcome: Even if some error disparities remain, the maximisation of overall accuracy could arguably yield a net positive outcome, with fewer false negatives (e.g., correctly identifying high-risk individuals), which enhances public safety. This approach emphasises aggregate benefit, but it does not entirely ignore individual harms—particularly in cases where errors could lead to significant personal consequences like wrongful incarceration.