The West Midlands Police in the UK has recently faced a serious crisis of trust. Due to making incorrect decisions based on false information generated by Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot, the acting police chief Scott Green has announced an emergency suspension of the tool across the entire force.

This incident originated from a highly controversial security recommendation for a football match. Previously, the agency had recommended banning fans of the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a Europa Conference League match held in Birmingham. Investigation found that this decision was partially based on intelligence provided by Copilot. However, it turned out that the so-called "fan clashes" described by the AI occurred in a fictional match that never existed.

This "AI hallucination" triggered a chain reaction. The former police chief Craig Guildford faced significant public pressure after giving contradictory testimony about the use of AI during a parliamentary hearing, and eventually retired early. Currently, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has intervened in the investigation, focusing on verifying the compliance and ethical risks of using AI tools in police decision-making.

Acting Chief Green emphasized that although AI still holds great potential in improving crime investigation efficiency in the future, the police will not restart Copilot until strict regulatory policies and usage guidelines are established. This incident also serves as a warning to law enforcement agencies around the world: over-reliance on immature AI technology in major decisions involving public safety and international relations may lead to disastrous legal and diplomatic consequences.

Key Points:

  • 🚨 The West Midlands Police have officially suspended the AI tool Microsoft Copilot after it fabricated a non-existent match violence incident.

  • 📉 This AI decision error led to the previous police chief being forced to retire early and triggered an official investigation by the regulatory authorities.

  • 🛡️ The police leadership stated that they will indefinitely suspend the use of AI assistants until strict ethical, transparency, and evidence review guidelines are established.