Derbyshire Police investigates officer over alleged AI-made evidence

In short: Derbyshire Police has launched a criminal investigation into an officer accused of using AI to create evidence for multiple cases.

What happened

Derbyshire Constabulary in England said it has removed an officer from frontline duties and started a criminal investigation. The force said the officer is being investigated over allegations of perverting the course of justice.

Police said the suspected issue involves the alleged use of AI systems to “create evidential material in a number of cases.” AI, or artificial intelligence, is software that can generate text and other content, a bit like an autocomplete tool that can write full paragraphs.

Derbyshire Police did not name the officer, describe their role, or explain exactly what the “evidential material” was. The term can include documents such as witness statements.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales, said it is working with Derbyshire Police. The CPS said it is also engaging with defence teams and the courts in affected cases.

This comes after Alex Murray, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s PoliceAI centre, said some police forces had been told to stop using AI to prepare court statements and similar tasks. He said accuracy concerns were part of the reason. At a recent PoliceAI launch event, he said he was not aware of any prosecutions collapsing due to AI misuse.

Why it matters

Court evidence needs to be reliable, because it can affect whether someone is charged or convicted. If AI is used like a “shortcut writer” and it gets details wrong, those mistakes could mislead a court and create extra work for lawyers, judges, and police.

Source: Financial Times