The FBI is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to identify threats and coordinate investigations, according to statements from Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Christopher Raia. Bureau officials stated the technology is being used to analyze data from transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels, reducing the time required to process tips from weeks to hours or minutes. The announcement follows FBI data showing a decline in violent crime, including an 18.5% drop in robberies and a 7.2% decrease in aggravated assaults.
Director Patel reported that the bureau established an AI working group and a chief AI officer to overhaul internal systems, a modernization effort he initiated alongside then-Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Patel compared the agency’s previous technology to "archaic patchwork systems" and stated that AI now assists the National Threat Operations Center in transcribing calls, summarizing threats, and ranking leads by severity. Deputy Director Raia noted that these tools help ensure critical tips "rise to the top" for field action.
The bureau highlighted several outcomes attributed to these updates. Director Patel reported that the FBI identified and located 6,300 missing children last year, a 30% increase, and arrested 2,000 abusers, a 20% increase. In one case, AI assisted in the arrest of a North Carolina man, Zachary Charles Newell, who was sentenced to two years in prison for posting online threats against a Black preschool. Additionally, the bureau used AI to process 75 terabytes of data collected following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
The use of AI in law enforcement has also raised concerns regarding civil liberties and privacy rights. Privacy advocates, such as Naomi Brockwell of the Ludlow Institute, argue that AI allows the government to profile citizens without traditional limitations. Furthermore, the FBI's use of data from private companies like Flock Safety, which operates automated license plate readers for 6,000 agencies, has drawn scrutiny. Raia stated that the bureau remains transparent with Congress and has provided 50,000 pages of documents for oversight review over the last 18 months.
The creation of the Homeland Security Task Force by executive order in January 2025 has facilitated collaboration between the FBI, DEA, Treasury, and the Department of Defense. In April, Reps. Thomas Massie and Lauren Boebert introduced a bill that would require federal agencies to obtain warrants before using AI-assisted tools to access Americans' digital data.
Federal agencies continue to integrate private-sector AI technology, following Department of Defense deals with companies including Google and OpenAI. While the FBI maintains that AI is "supplementing" rather than replacing human agents, the bureau faces ongoing oversight from boards and Congress. The legislative status of the House bill regarding warrants for AI surveillance remains pending.