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Patel says FBI has used AI to stop school shootings FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday the agency used AI to stop half a dozen school shootings and upped its use of the technology by 605 percent since he took the position. Appearing on Fox News’ “Saturday in America,” host Kayleigh McEnany asked Patel about a statement he made in March claiming the FBI had prevented a school shooting in North Carolina after triaging a “tip” through AI software. “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,” the FBI director told McEnany. “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.” “I have increased the use of AI in the FBI by 605 percent,” Patel continued. “And what we’re about to do is work with our … partners and look at databases and collect information and get DNA and then get these threats back out to the field and stop people from killing children at schools.” He added that his move to embrace AI within the FBI was not “a political mission” and criticized Democrats for not asking him about the technology during his Tuesday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Patel accused the Democratic lawmakers on the committee of acting “like buffoons on Capitol Hill” in another interview on Fox News’s “Hannity” following his meeting with them. The Senate Judiciary Committee pressed Patel over reports that he used taxpayer dollars to fund personal excursions — citing alleged expenses on “date night” travels with his girlfriend, sporting events and a hunting retreat. Patel denied these accusations in a July letter to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in which he pledged he was “fully compliant” with agency rules. The FBI’s use of AI also comes as tech industry leaders warn that its growth needed to slow down to allow for the implementation of necessary risk prevention safeguards. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said last week, “We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models.” Amodei later suggested granting an antitrust waiver for AI firms so they could work together on a safety standard, which drew criticism from lawmakers — including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who said during Patel’s hearing there is “absolutely no world” where he would give these companies “antitrust exemptions.” Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
document fetched 2026-09-20 02:46 · canonical https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6100038-patel-fbi-ai-school-shootings