UK police officer suspended for allegedly using AI to fabricate evidence

A British police officer has been suspended from frontline duties after allegedly using artificial intelligence to generate fake evidence in criminal cases.

The unnamed officer serves in the Derbyshire Constabulary, the territorial police force responsible for policing the county of Derbyshire, England. He has been removed from operational duties and is under criminal investigation on suspicion of perverting the course of justice, though no arrests have been made.

British media reported the officer is accused of utilizing AI technology to "create evidential material in a number of cases." The Derbyshire Constabulary is currently working alongside the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to determine whether any ongoing criminal cases have been compromised, according to The Telegraph.

Authorities have yet to announce exactly how many cases may have been affected by this single officer.

A Metropolitan Police officer stands on duty in Westminster, London, Britain, in 2021. Photo by Reuters

A spokesman for the Derbyshire Constabulary told the Financial Times: "A criminal investigation has been launched into an allegation of perverting the course of justice after the alleged use of AI systems by an officer to create evidential material in a number of cases."

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson echoed this in a statement to the Guardian: "We are working with Derbyshire police as it conducts enquiries into the alleged use of artificial intelligence by an officer. We are engaging with defense teams and the courts in appropriate cases. As police enquiries continue, it would not be appropriate to comment further."

This isolated incident comes at a critical time, as police forces across England actively seek to expand the use of artificial intelligence to reduce administrative workloads and improve overall efficiency.

Notably, the investigation into the Derbyshire officer was revealed the very same week the U.K. established PoliceAI, a new national center dedicated to AI in policing.

Backed by a record £75 million (US$100.6 million) over three years, the PoliceAI center will collaborate with all forces to identify, test, and scale AI tools that deliver real results, according to a statement published on the U.K. government website.

"Early trials show the scale of what is possible: 800 hours of footage in a kidnapping case reviewed in 3 hours, producing an early guilty plea; and half a million e-books of data translated instantly, leading to the arrest of a serious organized crime gang," the government statement highlighted.