Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

UK authorities plan to introduce AI-powered chatbots to handle non-urgent calls from the public to the police, Azernews reports.

According to The Times, the announcement came from Shabana Mahmood, head of the UK Home Office. The virtual assistant will be able to assess whether a call needs to be forwarded to a human operator, a police officer, or another emergency service.

"We are creating a new national center for artificial intelligence – Police.AI," Mahmood said. "AI will be implemented across all police departments to reduce paperwork and free up to 6 million working hours annually, equivalent to about 3,000 police officers, allowing more resources to be focused on frontline duties."

The plan also includes using AI to analyze surveillance footage, smart video doorbells, mobile devices, and data from automatic facial recognition systems. Coverage is expected to expand fivefold, eventually encompassing all of England and Wales.

In addition to AI integration, the Home Office intends to reduce the number of police services in England and Wales from 43 to 12 through a series of mergers. However, this process will be gradual. By 2029, authorities aim to complete only one merger as a model for future system-wide optimization.

Experts note that the initiative could revolutionize policing in the UK, streamlining routine tasks, improving response times, and potentially making communities safer. Critics, however, have raised concerns about privacy, data security, and algorithmic bias, emphasizing that oversight will be crucial to ensure AI is used responsibly.

The move reflects a broader trend in law enforcement worldwide, where AI and automation are increasingly being explored to enhance efficiency and support human officers, rather than replace them entirely. Some analysts predict that successful implementation in the UK could serve as a blueprint for smart policing in other countries in the coming decade.