Officer under criminal investigation over alleged AI-generated evidence - Police Professional

A Derbyshire Constabulary officer has been removed from frontline duties and is currently under criminal investigation for allegations of perverting the course of justice. The investigation centers on claims that the officer utilized AI systems to generate falsified evidential material across several different cases.

What happened

The Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway following allegations that an officer used AI tools to manufacture evidence. While the force has not disclosed the specific nature of the misconduct, the officer’s role, or their identity, they have been removed from frontline duties pending the outcome of the probe. No arrests have been made at this time.

The force is working in conjunction with the Crown Prosecution Service to evaluate potentially impacted cases and to maintain communication with defense teams and the courts. This incident is believed to be the first of its kind within the UK criminal justice system. The development follows a recent warning from Alex Murray, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s PoliceAI centre, who instructed various forces to cease using AI for drafting court statements and other materials due to significant reliability concerns. Although Murray noted that no prosecutions have collapsed due to AI misuse to date, this case highlights growing scrutiny regarding the integration of artificial intelligence into police procedures. This follows previous controversies, such as the misuse of Microsoft’s Copilot earlier this year, where fabricated references to crowd trouble were used to justify a fan ban, an event that contributed to the early retirement of West Midlands chief constable Craig Guildford.