FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday that the bureau has used artificial intelligence to thwart roughly half a dozen school shooting plots and has ramped up its reliance on the technology by more than 600 percent since he assumed leadership.
Speaking on Fox News' "Saturday in America," Patel was asked by host Kayleigh McEnany about his earlier claim that AI-assisted triage of a tip had helped prevent a school attack in North Carolina. He expanded on that, saying similar interventions occurred in other states.
"We've done it in North Carolina and about half a dozen other states to prevent school shootings since I've been in the seat," Patel said. "AI, when used lawfully, is a critical tool to triage data. For far too long the institutional morass in D.C. rejected the advancements of technology."
Patel said he has "increased the use of AI in the FBI by 605 percent," and described plans to work with partners to aggregate databases, collect DNA, and push threat information back to field offices to "stop people from killing children at schools."
The director insisted his push for AI is not "a political mission," and he criticized Democratic senators for not raising the technology during his Tuesday appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a separate Fox News interview on "Hannity," he accused Democratic lawmakers of acting "like buffoons on Capitol Hill."
The committee hearing also focused on allegations that Patel used taxpayer funds for personal travel, including outings with his girlfriend, sporting events, and a hunting retreat. Patel has denied any wrongdoing, writing to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in July that he was "fully compliant" with agency rules. That spending controversy has shadowed his tenure, and he has faced scrutiny over travel and vehicle costs in the run-up to the hearing.
Patel's comments come as tech industry leaders warn about the pace of AI development. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently said, "We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models," and suggested antitrust waivers to allow AI firms to collaborate on safety standards. That proposal drew pushback from lawmakers, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who said during Patel's hearing there is "absolutely no world" where he would grant such exemptions.
The FBI's expanded use of AI has also been linked to broader federal efforts, including a push by Melania Trump to highlight AI in schools during a visit to North Carolina. Patel's testimony and his aggressive defense of AI come amid ongoing clashes with Democrats over his oversight and policy decisions, as detailed in his heated exchange with senators.
