How COPFS will use Artificial Intelligence (AI)

At COPFS, we are committed to using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a way that’s ethical, responsible, safe, and transparent. AI will support our work, but it won’t make decisions or replace the judgement of our skilled people. By using AI responsibly, we aim to improve services for victims, witnesses, and the wider public, while enabling our people to focus their expertise where it matters most. 

Human oversight at every stage 

• We will ensure adequate human oversight, and where necessary, AI-assisted output will be checked by a qualified staff member.  
• Staff will remain accountable for their work, using AI to assist, not replace, their judgement or decision-making.  
• We will continuously train our people to ensure they feel confident using AI technologies and understand the considerations for appropriate use.  

Transparency about our use of AI 

• We will register our AI use on the Scottish AI Register in order to communicate and explain why, when, and where AI tools are used in our services.  
• We will maintain an internal AI register to document and explain the functionality of each AI tool we deploy.  

Appropriate, secure, and protected 

• We will adopt AI to enhance efficiency, improve quality, and deliver excellent service.  
• We will bring together specialists from a variety of disciplines when we are considering an AI service, ensuring that every aspect is thoroughly reviewed, and all potential impacts are fully understood. 
• Privacy, security, and data protection will be built into all AI services we develop or procure. 
• We will align with Scottish and UK standards for safe and ethical AI use.  

Our approach to AI is guided by purpose and accountability. We will measure the benefits of the AI tools we deploy. 

We are committed to implementing robust processes that ensure: 

• Value-driven deployment: AI tools will only be introduced when they have a defined purpose and offer tangible service value. 
• Defined outcomes:  AI tools will have clearly defined objectives and expected outcomes. 
• Strong governance: An AI Framework, supported by policies and an Ethics & Governance Board, will ensure our use of AI is relevant, reliable, secure, and transparent. 
• Public benefit: AI tools will be introduced to enhance the services we deliver for victims, witnesses, and the wider public. 
• Accountability: We will track, through our internal governance processes, the intended benefits, reporting if these are being realised, and supporting continuous service improvement.  

We may consider using AI to: 

• Optimise and automate workloads and workflows for improved service delivery.  
• Support the creation of correspondence and documents and assist with financial data analysis.  
• Provide information and support to the public.  
• Improve cybersecurity by detecting threats.  

This is not a comprehensive list and will be updated as our understanding and use of AI evolve.  

We will not: 

• Use unapproved AI tools for COPFS work.  
• Use AI to make decisions.  
• Upload information to AI systems that do not comply with our policies or meet our standards. 

1. Fairness and equality: We will take appropriate action to mitigate bias and discrimination in our AI solutions.  
2. Respect for law and human rights: Each AI system will be assessed to ensure compliance with the law and respect for human rights and democratic values.  
3. Privacy and data protection: We will protect personal data at every stage and comply with data protection laws.  
4. Transparency and explainability: Applying a risk-based approach, and where appropriate, we will take steps to provide the public with details of how and why AI systems are used and ensure explainability wherever feasible. 
5. Safety and security: We will work to ensure AI systems are robust and secure, testing them regularly and addressing issues promptly.  
6. Accountability: We will verify AI-generated content when necessary to ensure accuracy.  
7. Inclusivity: By engaging with relevant third-sector stakeholders, we will take account of diverse communities to ensure AI services work for everyone.  
8. Ethics and strong governance: We will ensure our AI principles are applied to all AI services by following our AI framework and implementing clear governance processes. We will make sure staff understand these AI principles and policies through ongoing training and awareness campaigns. 

We will collaborate with justice and third-sector partners across Scotland and with the Scottish AI Alliance to seek input, share learning, and set standards for responsible AI. 

This page will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect COPFS policy and AI use.