FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau has increased its use of artificial intelligence by 605%, touting the technology as a growing part of the agency’s efforts to identify threats and process information.
Patel made the claim Saturday during an appearance on Fox News’ “Saturday in America” with Kayleigh McEnany, where he discussed the FBI’s use of AI to analyze incoming information and potentially identify threats more quickly. Fox News published video of the interview Saturday.
“AI, when used lawfully, is a critical tool to triage data,” Patel said.
Patel said the FBI has used the technology in North Carolina and about half a dozen other states in connection with efforts to prevent potential school shootings.
“I have increased the use of AI in the FBI by 605%,” Patel said, adding that the agency plans to work with private-sector companies and state and local law enforcement agencies to expand its technological capabilities.
The 605% figure was also included in Patel’s prepared remarks ahead of congressional oversight testimony this week. According to the remarks obtained by Fox News, Patel said the FBI had expanded its use of AI by 605% for “threat detection, triage, analysis, and processing.”
Patel has repeatedly pointed to a North Carolina case as an example of the technology’s potential.
In an FBI interview discussing technological changes at the bureau, Patel said AI had been incorporated into the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center, which receives tips and information from the public.
Patel said the technology helps prioritize incoming information and connect tips to existing cases. He said the system was used to rapidly process information related to a potential school shooting in North Carolina before authorities intervened.
“We stopped a school massacre in North Carolina because we got a tip and we were able to triage it with artificial intelligence,” Patel previously told Fox News in May, according to the report.
Patel has also said technology companies are working directly with the bureau as the FBI updates its internet systems, classified networks and counterterrorism capabilities.
During Saturday’s interview, Patel said the FBI plans to use AI alongside databases, DNA information and other investigative tools before providing potential threats to agents and local authorities.
The director also credited President Donald Trump’s administration with supporting the FBI’s technological modernization, while criticizing Democratic lawmakers for what he characterized as insufficient attention to the issue during congressional hearings, per Yahoo News.
The FBI’s increased use of artificial intelligence comes as government agencies, technology companies and lawmakers continue debating the benefits and risks of rapidly advancing AI systems.
Patel has argued that the technology can help investigators process large amounts of data substantially faster, particularly when officials are working against the clock to assess potential threats.
The FBI’s own description of its deployment shows the technology being used primarily as a tool to sort, prioritize and connect information for human investigators rather than independently making enforcement decisions.
Patel said the bureau intends to continue expanding those capabilities as part of a broader modernization effort.
“We’re going to rely on technology,” Patel said, while describing the changes as among the FBI’s most significant technological advances in recent years.
