CHILD RECOVERY AGENCY

The Child Recovery Agency is integrating artificial intelligence into intelligence gathering and data analysis to support our fight against child trafficking and child sexual exploitation.

AI can help organise large volumes of information, identify potential connections and highlight material that requires closer examination. Used responsibly, it can reduce time spent processing data and help our team focus on information that may support the protection of vulnerable children.

Our approach is guided by a clear principle: the protection of children must remain at the centre of every decision, including how we use technology.

Supporting Human Intelligence and Professional Judgement

AI supports our personnel by assisting with tasks such as:

• Reviewing and organising information gathered through lawful sources.
• Identifying possible patterns, relationships and inconsistencies within data.
• Translating and summarising material for further assessment.
• Highlighting potential intelligence leads that require verification.
• Supporting research and the preparation of intelligence reports.

These capabilities complement human intelligence, experience and professional judgement. Responsibility for assessing information and making operational decisions remains with our personnel.

Verification Before Action

AI can produce inaccurate information, overlook context or suggest connections that are not supported by evidence. A convincing response is not proof of accuracy.

Our approach requires AI assisted findings to be critically assessed and, where possible, corroborated through independent sources. We distinguish between verified facts, analytical assessments and unconfirmed leads.

An AI generated result alone is not sufficient grounds to identify someone as an offender, make an allegation or justify operational action.

Protecting Privacy and Sensitive Information

Child protection intelligence can involve highly sensitive information about children, survivors, sources and ongoing investigations. Its handling requires care, restraint and a clear operational purpose.

Our ethical approach is to limit the information used to what is necessary for the task and assess whether an AI tool is suitable before processing sensitive material. Identifying details should be removed wherever practical, and confidential information should only be handled through appropriately authorised systems and processes.

Protecting a child also means protecting their identity, dignity and future.

Recognising Bias and Context

AI systems can reflect biases in their training data and misinterpret language, cultural differences or behaviour. This is particularly relevant to work across different countries and communities.

Our personnel must question assumptions, consider local context and assess alternative explanations. Nationality, ethnicity, religion or background must never be treated as evidence of offending.

A potential pattern is a starting point for further assessment, not a conclusion.

Lawful Use and Human Accountability

Our use of AI must remain within applicable laws, authorised access and the scope of our operational agreements.

AI does not expand our authority to obtain information or remove our responsibility to handle it appropriately. Human oversight remains essential, particularly where an assessment could affect a person’s safety, reputation or rights.

We also recognise that an AI summary is an analytical aid. It must not be presented as an original source or allowed to obscure the evidence on which an assessment is based.

Our Commitment

As AI develops, we will continue to evaluate its capabilities, limitations and suitability for our work.

Our commitment is to use technology responsibly, strengthen the quality of our intelligence and maintain accountability for the decisions we make.

The purpose is clear: better informed child protection, supported by technology and guided by human judgement, integrity and care.