AI embedded across Home Office in near-total secrecy, report says
The report by Open Rights Group (ORG) claims AI is now used for a range of immigration tasks, from detecting sham marriages to assessing the age of asylum seekers and scanning phones of new arrivals. It also says the technology powers border surveillance through live facial recognition, AI‑driven drones and satellites, and summarises asylum interviews and policy information for caseworkers.
Key points
- Open Rights Group reports AI used for detecting sham marriages, age assessment and phone checks
- AI tools used for border surveillance via facial recognition, drones and satellites
- Report calls for regulation, banning ChatGPT tools in asylum applications
The report names the opaque Identify and Prioritise Immigration Cases (Ipic) tool as a key system that prioritises and assesses cases. It notes that the Home Office has kept the deployment secret, citing national security to block freedom‑of‑information requests and redact documents. Cross‑party MPs, including Bell Ribeiro‑Addy, Pete Wishart and Siân Berry, have expressed support for the findings.
ORG calls for regulation, banning undemocratic uses such as ChatGPT tools in asylum applications, and for stronger freedom‑of‑information laws and a public register of government AI tools. A Home Office spokesperson said AI assists but does not replace human decision‑makers and that the department will publish updated evaluations of the tools.
‘Digital hostile environment’: AI secretly being embedded across Home Office, report claims
The Guardian AI · 27 October 2026
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This text was published by The Guardian AI and written by Diane Taylor. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
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