Gender Based Violence: Artificial Intelligence

Police AI, the Government’s new National Centre for AI in Policing, working closely with the National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, will play an important role in supporting the response to violence against women and girls by enabling forces to adopt new technologies in a consistent, effective and responsible way. As set out in the Police Reform White Paper in January, this will be supported by £115 million of investment over the next three years.

AI tools can strengthen policing’s ability to prevent, detect and investigate VAWG offences. For example, AI is being integrated into force control rooms to help identify risk factors, including domestic abuse and VAWG, supporting faster and more informed responses to victims. AI-enabled tools can support the analysis of large volumes of digital evidence, including CCTV and online material, helping to identify perpetrators more quickly and strengthen investigations.

New technology is also improving how victims engage with policing. Capabilities such as rapid video response enable victims to provide evidence and speak to officers more quickly, while digital platforms allow ongoing communication with investigators, improving victim experience and supporting stronger case building.

The Government is also taking action to address the generation of non-consensual intimate images, which disproportionately affects women and girls. The Home Office has introduced world leading measures, becoming the first country to criminalise the possession, creation and distribution of AI tools to generate child sexual abuse material, as well as the criminalisation of the development and supply of nudification tools. Police AI will help police acquire and use deepfake detection technology to help police these crimes.

As with all policing technology, AI will be deployed in line with existing legal and ethical safeguards, and decisions on its operational use remain a matter for Chief Constables.