Several rape convictions are currently under review following the suspension of a Derbyshire Police detective who is allegedly accused of manipulating evidence with the aid of an artificial intelligence chatbot. The officer is suspected of inputting biased prompts into the AI system to generate documents that favored prosecutorial outcomes.

Derbyshire Police confirmed it had removed the detective from frontline duties and opened a criminal investigation into the alleged misconduct, marking one of the first such incidents involving AI tools in UK law enforcement. The probe centers on whether the officer used the AI to prepare key case materials, including “impact statements” — victim accounts detailing how a crime affected them, which are typically considered during sentencing.

Sources familiar with the investigation said the detective instructed the AI to enhance these statements by maximizing their emotional impact. He reportedly also used the technology to draft prosecutorial briefings designed to secure charge authorizations. One individual familiar with the situation described the approach as using “good-sounding words” to ensure outcomes aligned with the perceived severity of the suspects’ offenses.

The officer had been involved not only in multiple rape cases but also other investigations, according to two people with knowledge of the events. While concerns exist regarding AI-generated “hallucinations”—fabricated inaccuracies produced by these systems—no evidence has yet emerged that such distortions affected the Derbyshire cases.

Derbyshire Police is examining whether the officer’s conduct constitutes perverting the course of justice. To date, no arrests or formal charges have been made. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) acknowledged it was informed about the incidents in January but opted to allow Derbyshire Police to handle the inquiry internally without launching a separate investigation.

The Crown Prosecution Service has not disclosed details about the specific cases under review but stated it is engaging with defense counsel and courts regarding the implications. Derbyshire Police declined to specify the number of convictions potentially impacted but noted it had informed the PoliceAI unit, a newly established team responsible for overseeing the integration of AI technologies within policing practices. The force indicated that any findings and lessons learned from this investigation would be shared with the unit upon its conclusion.