Police officer under criminal investigation over alleged use of AI | AI (artificial intelligence)
A police officer is under criminal investigation for allegedly using artificial intelligence and has been suspended from frontline duties in the first known case of its kind in the UK.
The unnamed police officer is being investigated for allegedly using technology to “create evidentiary material in some cases” and perverting the course of justice.
Derbyshire police told the Financial Times: “A criminal investigation has been launched for allegedly perverting the course of justice following allegations that a police officer used AI systems to create evidentiary material in a number of cases.
“The force is working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to potentially affected cases.”
Police added that the investigation was at an “early stage” and no further details were available.
The statement included the following: “The officer concerned has been suspended from front-line duties pending the outcome of the investigation. No arrests have been made.”
The officer’s role or the exact nature of the suspected misconduct was not disclosed.
A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service told the Guardian: “We are working with Derbyshire Police, who are carrying out investigations into allegations that a police officer used artificial intelligence.
“We are in contact with defense teams and the courts in appropriate cases.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further while police investigations are ongoing.”
The investigation comes after Alex Murray, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Police Artificial Intelligence centre, said he had told some police forces to stop using AI systems to prepare court statements and other tasks on the grounds that they may not be reliable enough.
In April, the Metropolitan police launched an investigation into hundreds of police officers after they used an artificial intelligence tool developed by US technology company Palantir to root out rogue cops.
The software was used by the Met for a week; Using data the police force already has access to, it surveils staff, uncovering breaches of rules ranging from work-from-home infractions to suspected corruption and alleged crimes such as rape.
The Met said that as a result of the software, evidence was found to link a small number of police officers to serious cases of misconduct and crime, resulting in three officers being arrested for offenses including abuse of power for sexual purposes, fraud, sexual assault, misconduct in public office and misuse of police systems.
