FBI Director Says AI Use Jumped 605%, But What That Means Is Unclear

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Fox News interview that under his push, the bureau's use of artificial intelligence has grown by 605%. He said AI, when used lawfully, is a key tool for sorting and classifying data, and is highly valuable for protecting children and preventing school shootings.

Patel said that since he took office, AI has played a key role in following a lead and stopping shootings in North Carolina and six other states. But it is unclear what exactly the 605% figure measures, and there is little solid public data on how widely or in what ways the FBI has adopted AI.

A February 2026 report on the U.S. Justice Department's 2025 AI project list shows 50 AI use cases belonging to the FBI, with 9 marked as high-impact projects. FBI Chief AI Officer Katie Noyes said in August that the number of approved AI use cases at the FBI had reached 139, about three times the January figure.

The FBI has issued procurement documents to buy AI servers for $88 million. Patel also said he can directly contact top AI company CEOs, and that these companies cooperate with law enforcement. The FBI has set up tags to track AI-related crimes, highlighting investment fraud, romance scams and fake job scams as high-risk areas.