Police forces warned not to use unsanctioned AI tools
Published: 08/06/2026
| Financial Times
Head of Police.AI, Alex Murray, has intervened to prevent several UK police forces from using commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) systems for criminal justice tasks before appropriate safeguards are in place. The pause follows concerns that inaccurate outputs, or hallucinations, could contaminate legal proceedings. Murray stated that any technology utilised in the justice system must achieve an accuracy standard beyond a reasonable doubt.
The intervention highlights the tensions over generative AI in policing. Backed by £115 million over three years, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed the initiative could save time equivalent to adding 3,000 officers to the 145,000 serving in England and Wales.
Forces have also been cautioned against using unvetted AI for preparing disclosure schedules, which list evidence for the defence. The warning follows a previous incident in which West Midlands Police used Microsoft Copilot, which fabricated information about an Israeli football club, leading to a supporter ban. All forces now maintain policies requiring officers to check all Copilot outputs.
£ - The Financial Times article requires a subscription.
Training Announcement: The BCS Foundation Certificate in AI examines the challenges and risks associated with AI projects, such as those related to privacy, transparency and potential biases in algorithms that could lead to unintended consequences. Explore the role of data, effective risk management strategies, compliance requirements, and ongoing governance of the AI lifecycle and become a certified AI Governance professional. Find out more.
What is this page?
You are reading a summary article on the Privacy Newsfeed, a free resource for DPOs and other professionals with privacy or data protection responsibilities helping them stay informed of industry news all in one place. The information here is a brief snippet relating to a single piece of original content or several articles about a common topic or thread. The main contributor is listed in the top left-hand corner, just beneath the article title.
The Privacy Newsfeed monitors over 300 global publications, of which more than 3,250 summary articles have been posted to the online archive dating back to the beginning of 2020. A weekly roundup is available by email every Friday.