Meet the pioneering new AI assistant ‘recruited’ by Hampshire Police to help the public

The AI Virtual Assistant, known as Bobbi, has been created to answer frequently asked, non-emergency questions that come in to the police, with Hampshire and Thames Valley the first two forces in the country to trial a pioneering new way to contact them. Bobbi will interact with you like a human, but is entirely automated.

This is the first time this technology has been used in policing in the UK and offers an additional service, alongside online forms, telephone lines and front counters, for those who prefer to use a virtual assistant to ask questions and seek help or advice.

However, 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 and uses information provided by the police to provide advice or point you in the right direction for a variety of police-related topics.

The information used by the AI Virtual Assistant to make suggestions and recommendations, is the same information referenced by Call Handlers and Digital Desk Operators to support them in answering these questions and will remain confidential.

If Bobbi is unable to answer your question or if you specify that you want to speak to a person, your chat will be directed a Digital Desk operators – who are all real people.

Chief Superintendent Simon Dodds, Head of Contact Management for both forces said: “This is a really exciting time for us as we trial this technology in policing.

“Locally and nationally, contact into the police increases year-on-year, online and over the phone, and it is important that the valuable skillset of our Call Handlers and Digital Desk Operators is spent on emergencies and complex, sensitive issues.

"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.

“Bobbi will always remain as a work in progress so whilst we are launching the technology today after an intense building and testing period, our experienced staff will continue to train it to fix any bugs, remain up-to-date with legislation and policies and evolve the technology in line with the needs of our communities.”