FBI Director Kash Patel claims AI has helped stop school shootings: “I’m using it everywhere.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau has begun using artificial intelligence extensively and credits it with helping prevent potential school shootings.
In an interview with Sean Hannity, Patel claimed that AI tools were not in use at the FBI prior to the second Trump administration, but are now widely integrated into its operations.
He pointed to a recent case in North Carolina, where a tip about a possible school attack was analyzed with the help of AI and led to intervention before any violence occurred.
Patel also said a separate threat in New York was disrupted after information from private-sector partners, who are assisting with the FBI’s AI infrastructure was processed. He emphasized that AI is critical in managing the large volume of tips the agency receives each week, noting that human analysts alone would struggle to review them all.
He added that major technology companies are now working with the FBI to upgrade its digital systems, including classified networks and counterterrorism capabilities, allowing for faster data analysis and response times.
According to Patel, AI is also being deployed at the bureau’s National Threat Operations Center and is helping agents quickly match fingerprints, identify suspects, and issue arrest warrants.
Patel criticized previous FBI leadership for not prioritizing AI adoption, arguing they focused on “weaponization” rather than modernization.
His comments come amid ongoing criticism of his leadership, including a recent Saturday Night Live sketch that mocked him. In the segment, comedian Aziz Ansari portrayed an exaggerated version of Patel, joking about the agency’s performance and claiming it was “six weeks away” from locating Osama bin Laden.
