UK police trial AI officers, warn public not to abuse rookie recruits

Thames Valley Police and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabularies claim to be the first to introduce automated officers in a trial aimed at providing a new way for the public to contact them.

Both forces say the primary purpose of these virtual assistants will be to answer frequently asked, non-emergency questions. The AI cannot be used to report a crime or as an alternative to the emergency 999 line.

Bobbi takes its name from the word “Bobby,” an affectionate, old-fashioned slang term for a member of the police force, which in turn derives from Sir Robert Peel, the founder of the Metropolitan Police.

Addressing data concerns, the forces state that Bobbi only uses data provided by them. If it is unable to answer a question or if the user requests to speak to a person, the conversation will be redirected to a member of police staff.

According to Thames Valley Police, Bobbi has been tested by over 200 people during its development, including by representatives from victim care groups and independent scrutiny panel members.

Perhaps feeling protective of the rookie cop, Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds, head of contact management for both forces, warned the public that abuse of the bot would distract the police from dealing with genuine incidents.

“Any misuse of the technology will draw Digital Desk operators away from dealing with real incidents and issues,” he said.

He added that because Bobbi was “a work in progress launched after an intense building and testing period,” the forces would continue to train it to fix any bugs and remain up-to-date with legislation and policies.

Last year, a national survey of US first responders found that 90% of law enforcement supports using AI to increase efficiency, although 84% of them had safety concerns.

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