Use of Artificial Intelligence

Request Number: FOI/16629

Category: Organisational Information & Performance - Procedures

Subject: Use of Artificial Intelligence

Request and Answer:
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.

Request
I am submitting an FOI request seeking to understand how public bodies are exploring or applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support service delivery. These questions are intended to gather insights into current practice, governance, and future planning. They should not be interpreted as critical; we are simply researching how public services are approaching emerging technologies.

Please provide answers to the following:

Request 1
AI Use in Operations

Does your organisation currently use any form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or automated systems in its operations?

If yes, please list the tools or systems in use and provide a brief description of their purpose (e.g., administrative support, triage, analytics, chatbot services, etc.).

If not, please state whether your organisation has explored or piloted any AI-based technologies in the past 3 years.

Answer 1
The PSNI currently use:

Voice to Text – Transcription of Audio files (EG Interviews).
DOC Defender – Redaction of personal information from documents.
Video transcription – Virtual officer attendance video calls are transcribed.
Media Monitoring tool – AI tool conducts open source research on online media outlets to aide in the summarisation of relevant news in media referencing PSNI.

The PSNI have an AI Steering Group created in 2025 which considers AI application suitability for implementation in PSNI.
The PSNI are current exploring various use cases for AI including internal Chabot style enquiry tools.

Request 2
AI for Decision-Making

Does your organisation use AI or algorithmic systems to support or inform decision-making in any area (e.g., resource allocation, risk assessments, case prioritisation)?

If yes, please describe the type of decision-making supported and the nature of the AI"s role (e.g., advisory, automated assessment, automated decision).

Please also confirm whether human oversight is applied.

Answer 2
No – No current plans to do so.

Request 3
AI Chatbots and Customer Interaction

Does your organisation currently use chatbots or virtual assistants—AI-driven or rules-based—to support public enquiries or internal staff functions?

If yes, please specify their purpose, whether they are AI-based, and when they were implemented.

Answer 3
Not currently but PSNI are developing an ‘HR Chatbot’ to allow employees to self-service queries about HR policy and procedure. This is due to be released to HR staff only, for pilot, to capture its accuracy and efficacy in demand reduction. Expected January 2026.

Request 4
Policies and Governance

Does your organisation have any formal policy, strategy, or guidance relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence or automated decision-making?

If yes, please supply a copy or provide a link.

If not, please indicate whether such a policy is in development.

Answer 4
The PSNI is currently developing its PSNI AI Strategy, which has been drafted and is currently under internal review.

Request 5
Data Protection and Ethics

If AI systems are used, what measures or frameworks does your organisation have in place to ensure:

Compliance with data protection and privacy obligations

Transparency for service users

Ethical or responsible use 

(For example, DPIAs, algorithmic impact assessments, ethical guidelines—if applicable.)

Answer 5
The PSNI have established a Governance framework for all digital change and innovation. The AI steering Group forms part of this framework. The PSNI are currently developing an in house Assessment tool that will ensure that all AI implementations are aligned against the PSNI AI Strategy. This tool will ensure PSNI AI usage aligns with the following defined principles: Accountability, Robustness, Transparency, Evidence-Led, Explainability, Responsibility, Lawfulness and Value for Money. This will include factors such as DPIA and Information Security assessment. All Artificial Intelligence related projects will have an associated completed ‘PSNI AI assessment tool’ which will then be considered against the aforementioned principles and approved/not approved by the AI Steering group prior to progression. The AI steering group is chaired by an ACC with senior representatives from internal departments, Information & Communication Services, Data protection and information security.

Request 6
Trials, Pilots, or Future Plans

Has your organisation run any pilots, trials, or exploratory projects involving AI in the last 3 years, or does it plan to do so in the next 12–24 months?

If yes, please provide brief details of the purpose, timeline, and status of these initiatives.

Answer 6
Yes, the PSNI AI Steering Group has internally surveyed its departments to identify business needs where AI ‘may’ be a solution. It is not currently possible to list future use cases as no project bids have been submitted currently. The PSNI has piloted a Video Analytics programme which has an AI component to assist the triage of Video to highlight the movement of persons, vehicles or specified objects. The PSNI has piloted an AI Orchestration platform to explore the capability of ‘in house’ development of AI solutions. The PSNI are in a discovery stage while creating the infrastructure that will enable safe, ethical and targeted usage of AI to predominantly administrative tasks for a defined benefit.

Request 7
Staff Training and Awareness

Does your organisation provide any training, guidance, or internal communications to staff relating to AI, its use, or its implications?

If yes, please describe the type of training or include documents if available.

Answer 7
NO - AI in the PSNI is in its infancy so there has been no service wide AI training.
YES – Aforementioned the PSNI has a few AI systems ‘in flight’ EG Voice to text, which the staff utilising have been trained to engage with.