A police officer in Derbyshire is under criminal investigation for allegedly using artificial intelligence to fabricate evidential material in multiple cases, marking the first known instance of its kind in the UK. The unidentified officer has been removed from frontline duties while the probe continues.
Derbyshire Police confirmed to the Financial Times that a criminal investigation has been launched into an allegation of perverting the course of justice after the suspected use of AI systems by an officer to create evidence. The force is collaborating closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) regarding any potentially impacted cases.
A police spokesperson stated that the investigation is in its early stages and no further details are available. The officer has been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome, and no arrests have been made. The officer's role and the exact nature of the suspected misconduct have not been disclosed.
A CPS spokesperson said: "We are working with Derbyshire police as it conducts enquiries into the alleged use of artificial intelligence by an officer. We are engaging with defence teams and the courts in appropriate cases. As police enquiries continue, it would not be appropriate to comment further."
Broader context of AI in policing
The investigation follows warnings from Alex Murray, head of the National Police Chiefs' Council's Police AI centre, who revealed that several police forces had been told to stop using AI systems for preparing court statements and other tasks due to reliability concerns.
In April, the Metropolitan Police launched investigations into hundreds of officers after using an AI tool built by US tech company Palantir to identify rogue officers. The software was deployed over a week, surveilling staff using readily accessible data, uncovering violations from work-from-home breaches to suspected corruption and criminal allegations including rape.
The Met reported that the software uncovered evidence linking a small number of officers to serious misconduct and criminality, leading to the arrest of three officers for offenses such as abuse of authority for sexual purposes, fraud, sexual assault, misconduct in public office, and misuse of police systems.
