Meet Bobbi: UK deploys AI-powered officer for patrolling, public inquiries

The UK’s first police virtual assistant named “Bobbi” has been unveiled by two police forces as part of a new trial.

Primarily, the project is a trial by police forces to use artificial intelligence to handle non-urgent public inquiries.

“Bobbi” interacts like a human and helps to answer frequently asked questions efficiently, but it is specifically designed for non-urgent situations.

According to Thames Valley Police as well as the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, the tool's prime motive was to complement online forms, phone lines, and front counters but not to supersede them completely.

In this connection, a spokesman for the forces said, “You cannot use the technology to report a crime or as an alternative to the emergency 999 line.

He further explained that Bobbi has undergone certain assessments by over 200 people during its development, including by representatives from victim care and independent community members.

The AI tool uses the same guidelines and knowledge available to human call handlers to make future recommendations.

Meanwhile, if Bobbi is unable to respond to a question, or if a user wants to speak to a person instead, they can be auto forwarded to a real-life operator.

Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds reported that it was a really exciting time and hoped this will allow staff to focus their attention on emergency situations.

Nonetheless, it will contribute to providing immediate responses, and will enhance our service to our communities, so that every member of the public gets the help whenever they need it.

In addition, it is in the development phase, with a team of proficient individuals refining the system until the final phase.

This marks a pivotal step in the digital transformation of public safety.