The police leadership has ordered members of the force not to use artificial intelligence (AI) to process any official documents or information, media reports said on Tuesday.

According to daily Politis, the police leadership is advising members of the force that using AI-powered apps with official documents or other official information is strictly prohibited.

The prohibition extends to all members of the police force, including individuals seconded to the secret service.

“Whereas AI can offer unlimited possibilities and yield significant benefits, boosting productivity and efficiency, the erroneous or unwarranted use of such technologies may pose a serious threat to security,” the police leadership said.

At the same time, the police HQ added, the deputy ministry of research, innovation and digital policy is currently drafting “a national strategy for the responsible and productive utilisation of AI in the day-to-day operations of the public sector”.

Internationally, AI is used by law enforcement in two main ways. One is predictive policing, which relies on AI and data analytics to anticipate potential criminal activity before it happens. It can involve analysing large datasets drawn from crime reports, arrest records and social or geographic information to identify patterns and forecast where crimes might occur or who may be involved.

The other way is intelligence-led policing (ILP) – a policing model built around the assessment and management of risk. Intelligence officers serve as guides to operations, rather than operations guiding intelligence.