UK Police Forces Launch First AI Assistant 'Bobbi' to Handle Non-Emergency Queries

Meet Bobbi: The UK's first AI police assistant

The AI tool handles non-emergency questions online, taking pressure off overstretched call handlers but does not investigate crimes. Police forces in the United Kingdom have launched the country's first AI chatbot for policing, designed to answer non-emergency queries online. While your mind might leap to RoboCop or Blade Runner, the virtual assistant, called Bobbi, won't be investigating crimes or replacing officers. Instead, it offers quick responses to frequently asked questions in order to ease pressure on call handlers and front-counter teams. "This is the first time this technology has been used in policing in the UK," a spokesperson for both forces said. "Bobbi interacts like a human, but is fully automated". The forces stress that Bobbi cannot be used to report crimes and does not replace the UK's 999 emergency line. If it cannot answer a question, or if the user asks for a human, the chat is handed to a digital desk operator. More than 200 people, including representatives from victim care organisations and independent scrutiny panels, have already tested the system. Bobbi, a British nickname for police, follows the same guidance as human call handlers and can make recommendations based on official advice. Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds, head of contact management for both forces, described the launch as "a really exciting time" for policing. With demand for police contact rising every year, he said, freeing up skilled staff for emergencies and complex cases is vital. "Empathy, common sense and that intangible gut instinct are some of the many human skills that need to guide our interactions with the public, particularly in their time of need," he said. But by handling routine queries, "Bobbi will enhance our service to our communities, ensuring that every member of the public can get the help they need, whenever they need it". It is being trialled by two police forces in the South of England. Thames Valley Police and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary say they are the first forces in the UK to employ the technology.

There's a new Bobbi on the beat - and they're powered by AI

Forget "ello, ello, ello" - modern policing's now about "AI, AI, AI". The UK's first police virtual assistant, powered by artificial intelligence, has been launched by two police forces as part of a new trial. "Bobbi" interacts like a human and helps answer frequently asked questions - but it isn't designed to be used in emergencies. Thames Valley Police, as well as the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, say the tool aims to complement online forms, phone lines and front counters... not replace them. A spokesman for the forces said: "You cannot use the technology to report a crime or as an alternative to the emergency 999 line. "Bobbi has been tested by over 200 people during its development, including by representatives from victim care groups and independent scrutiny panel members." The AI tool uses the same guidelines and information available to human call handlers to make suggestions and recommendations. And if Bobbi is unable to answer a question - or if a user wants to speak to a person instead - they can be automatically redirected to a real-life operator. Read more tech news: 'One in four' GPs using AI at work TikTok defends AI moderation (Human) Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds described it as a "really exciting time" - and hopes this will allow staff to focus on "emergencies and complex, sensitive issues". He added: "Empathy, common sense and that intangible gut instinct are some of the many human skills that need to guide our interactions with the public, particularly in their time of need. "By providing quick responses to commonly asked, non-emergency questions, Bobbi will enhance our service to our communities, ensuring that every member of the public can get the help they need, whenever they need it." Mr Dodds went on to stress that Bobbi will remain a work in progress, with a team of experienced staff working to fix bugs and comply with regulations.

UK gets first AI-powered virtual police assistant

It has been put into effect in two police forces as part of a trial period. You might think that AI would struggle to take the jobs of police officers, at least in its current form where it has very limited physical presence and cannot actually arrest criminals on the street. However, this isn't stopping the UK from bringing the technology into the law enforcement sector, as an AI-powered virtual assistant has been launched in two police forces as part of a trial period. As per Sky News, the bot is known as Bobbi, paying homage to the slang term used to describe police officers in the country as Bobby's. It's not a technology that is meant to begin incarcerating people any time soon (as we see used in the upcoming Chris Pratt film Mercy), as rather it's meant to simply interact like a human and answer frequently asked questions for non-emergency situations. The places where Bobbi is being trialled includes Thames Valley Police and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, and the aim of the bot is to "complement online forms, phone lines and front counters... not replace them." It's also mentioned that if someone would rather speak to a human person instead of Bobbi, this option is available and will lead to being automatically directed to a real-life operator.