Two UK police forces are the first to implement an AI-powered virtual assistant in a live-public-facing role. Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary introduced a trial to see how AI could help in contacting citizens and easing the load of those emergency services that take calls. The two forces have already started testing a tool called Bobbi that can respond to non-emergency questions from the public. The goal of the tool is to provide a fast and human-like interaction online.
This project is a major move forward in the use of AI by UK police departments, from just internal analytics or back-office automation to giving the technology directly to the public. While on trial, Bobbi undergoes a close inspection to determine whether it is accurate and that it uses adequate language in helping those seeking advice, information, or guidance without police intervention.
According to the forces, Bobbi answers the most frequently asked questions and, if necessary, provides the next steps. This aids in demand triage and ensures that human operators can deal with urgent, sensitive, or complex cases. At present, the assistant is limited to non-emergency queries and does not replace the emergency channels such as 999 or 101.
Thames Valley Police explained that the AI is powered by “closed-source information,” which means that the answers are entirely based on official documents that are verified by the forces and not on open-source internet content. The force reassures that any information given by members of the public during the exchange will be kept secret and will not be accessed or processed outside of the relevant policing systems.
Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds, head of contact management for both police forces, talking about the introduction, said that it was ” an important step in adjusting the polices services to the increase of public digital communication channels”. “This is a really exciting time for us as we trial this technology in policing,” he commented. “On a local and national level, police contact is increasing each year, both online and over the phone. Therefore, it is essential that the valuable skills of our Call Handlers and Digital Desk Operators are used for emergencies and complex, sensitive issues.”
Dodds pointed out the AI system’s aim was not to replace the front-line staff with the machine but to support the staff by screening and settling the routine queries. “Skills like empathy, common sense, and that gut feeling are among the many human skills that should guide our interactions with the public, especially when they are ailing,” he went on. “Bobbi, by providing speedy replies to frequently asked, non-emergency questions, is not replacing us; rather, she is enabling us to offer an even better service to our communities, thus ensuring that every member of the public has access to the help that they need, whenever they need it.”
The police expect Bobbi to help them to respond to common questions more quickly. Such as, reporting a minor incident, getting guidance on the lost property, submitting digital evidence, or understanding the next step of administrative processes. If the first stage of the trial is successful, the assistant may be extended to other functions or used more broadly in UK policing.
The introduction is timed when police organizations worldwide are considering how AI can help them to handle the workload due to the increase in the number of calls and shortage of resources. While on one hand, predictive policing and facial recognition technologies have been criticized, on the other hand, public service-focused innovations like chat assistants have been considered as a safer way to initiate responsible integration. The concerned forces make it clear that Bobbi does not execute operational decisions, nor does she handle live emergencies and that human intervention is indispensable during the trial.
The program will be extended through the next several months, during which time data from public interactions—without personal identifiers—will be employed to judge safety, dependability, and effect. Local opinion will be quite influential in deciding future directions.
With tech becoming more and more integral to public services, the outcome of the Bobbi trial could have a significant impact on how AI is implemented in a bigger emergency-services network, thus possibly opening up a way for other forces who wish to modernize their communication channels with citizens while safeguarding the front line that is so stretched.