FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the agency's use of artificial intelligence has increased by 605% since he took office. He noted that AI is utilized for tasks such as generating call transcriptions, summarizing data, and correlating contacts from complaints. Patel also credited AI tools with contributing to a 30% rise in locating missing children and a 20% increase in child abuse arrests.
Data regarding the scale of AI integration remains limited. A February 2026 report on the Department of Justice's AI inventory identified 50 use cases for the FBI, while Chief AI Officer Katie Noyes stated in August that approved use cases reached 139. The agency recently issued a procurement request for AI servers valued at $88 million to expand its infrastructure.
During a Senate hearing on September 15, Patel claimed that the FBI maintains direct contact with major AI companies to address law enforcement matters. The agency has also established a specific classification for AI-related crimes, citing investment, romance, and employment fraud as primary areas of concern. Patel emphasized that accessing vendor models is essential to combat AI-assisted criminal activity.
