Police AI misuse: Investigators uploaded 350,000 lines of audio to unsecured platform, documents show

Internal documents reveal risky workarounds as officers bypassed bans on AI translation tools

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Read Time3 min

New Zealand Police investigators repeatedly misused artificial intelligence translation tools, including uploading 350,000 lines of Chinese audio to Google Translate and breaking bans on transcribing English audio, official documents released under the Official Information Act show. The breaches occurred during a period of intense pressure on investigators and after an initial success using the Whisper AI system to translate Chinese-language phone intercepts in the 2024 Gulf Harbour body investigation.

The documents, obtained by RNZ, detail how investigators turned to AI tools to cope with overwhelming workloads. In the 2024 Operation Parade – the investigation into the killing of Shulai Wang – officers used Whisper AI to process 250 hours of Mandarin Chinese audio from more than 2500 files. The AI took 10 hours to do what would have taken human interpreters about 750 hours and cost $50,000. All evidence was later validated by qualified human translators.

After this success, use of automated translation spread to other teams. Police set up a formal test of Whisper with controls, including a ban on transcribing English audio or using it on Māori or Pacific languages. However, an evaluation six months later found officers had broken the no-English rule multiple times. In one case, Waikato investigators used AI to generate a document for legal proceedings. The High Tech Crime Group warned early on that "the ongoing compliance is beyond current resourcing."

Intercept and Technology Operations manager Detective Inspector Stu Mills said the breaches were "unfortunate but not unexpected" due to pressure on investigators. He warned that without an approved AI tool, staff would turn to risky workarounds.

Whisper was dropped in March 2025 except for one-off cases requiring three signoffs. But investigators continued using AI anyway. In one unnamed investigation, likely financial in 2025, they used Cellebrite to extract WeChat data from phones and then uploaded 350,000 lines of Chinese audio to Google Translate. An email stated this was necessary "to enable us to grade this in a timely manner" and warned the investigation risked "running for years damaging the police's reputation."

Internal emails reveal tension between tech leaders and investigators. A Western Bay of Plenty detective constable wrote in July 2025: "Man what a process trying to get this approved!" A High Tech Crime Group manager said they were "exhausted" by constant rule changes. Mills argued: "The lack of a secure, approved solution has driven staff toward these risky workarounds."

By October last year, Whisper was being integrated into Cellebrite. The documents shed little light on usage in the past 12 months, but it appeared widely available. How usage is audited or rules overseen remains unclear. Police declined an interview request on the story.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The breaches exposed confidential information to unsecured platforms, risking the integrity of investigations and the privacy of individuals.
Public trust in police use of new technology is at stake, especially after promises of careful and transparent introduction.
The case highlights the gap between policy and frontline reality when investigators are under severe pressure and lack secure approved tools.

Background

New Zealand Police have promised to be careful and transparent about introducing high-tech crime-fighting tools such as AI. Internally, they say they aim to keep the public informed "to the greatest extent possible." However, the documents show that after an initial success with Whisper AI, use spread rapidly and rules were difficult to enforce. The pressure on investigators led them to take evidence home and use personal devices or unsecured services, despite security warnings.

Key Perspectives

Police Investigators: Facing huge workloads and elevated flight risks for targets, they felt they had to act quickly. The use of AI was seen as essential to prioritise evidence in a timely manner. Some expressed frustration at slow approval processes and constant rule changes.

Tech Assurance Group: Concerned with security and privacy, they set bans on using AI for English transcription and for evidentiary purposes. They struggled to enforce compliance, with the High Tech Crime Group warning that ongoing compliance was beyond current resourcing.

Intercept and Technology Operations (Detective Inspector Stu Mills): Acknowledged the breaches were unfortunate but not unexpected given the pressure. He argued the lack of a secure approved solution was driving risky workarounds and that a trusted in-house capability was urgently needed.

What to Watch

How police audit and oversee the use of Whisper AI now that it is reportedly widely available.
Whether further breaches or security incidents emerge, especially around the integration with Cellebrite.
Potential policy changes or investment in secure AI translation tools for police use.

Sources

Police AI: Investigator uploads 350,000 lines of audio in risky workaround · RNZ New Zealand Headlines

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedPolice investigators uploaded 350,000 lines of Chinese audio to an unsecured Google Translate platform.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “One investigator put 350,000 lines of Chinese audio data into Google Translate, an unsecured platform for police.”
Partly supportedOfficers used risky workarounds and bypassed bans on AI translation tools.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “A formal test of Whisper AI was set up, with controls, such as not using it to transcribe English audio, or on Māori or Pacific languages.”
SupportedOperation Parade involved 250 hours of Mandarin audio across more than 2500 files.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Officers had intercepted calls and had 250 hours of audio from more than 2500 files in Mandarin Chinese.”
SupportedWhisper processed the audio in 10 hours, compared with about 750 hours and $50,000 for a person.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “It took Whisper 10 hours to do what would have taken a person about 750 hours and $50,000 to do.”
Partly supportedAll evidence was later validated by qualified human translators.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “All evidence had to be validated later by qualified human translators.”
SupportedThe High Tech Crime Group warned that “the ongoing compliance is beyond current resourcing.”RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““The ongoing compliance is beyond current resourcing,” the High Tech Crime Group warned early on.”
SupportedStu Mills called the breaches “unfortunate but not unexpected” because of pressure on investigators.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “But he also said they were “unfortunate but not unexpected” due to the pressure on investigators.”
SupportedAn email said using Google Translate was necessary “to enable us to grade this in a timely manner”.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““This needs to be done to enable us to grade this in a timely manner and determine what's important to the investigation”
SupportedThe email warned that the investigation risked “running for years damaging the police's reputation.”RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““Without being to grade the data in a timely manner this investigation will have the potential of running for years damaging the police's reputation (trust and confidence, etc).””
SupportedA Western Bay of Plenty detective constable wrote: “Man what a process trying to get this approved!”RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““Man what a process trying to get this approved!” wrote a Western Bay of Plenty detective constable in July 2025.”
SupportedA High Tech Crime Group manager said they were “exhausted” by constant rule changes.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “A High Tech Crime Group manager protested about “constant change” in the rules overseen by the Tech Assurance group. “We are exhausted.””
SupportedMills said: “The lack of a secure, approved solution has driven staff toward these risky workarounds.”RNZ New Zealand Headlines: ““The lack of a secure, approved solution has driven staff toward these risky workarounds, highlighting the urgent need for a trusted in house capability.””