Harnessing AI for Forensics

The project aims to create a framework of actionable guidelines for agency decision-makers to evaluate and administer AI effectively and responsibly in their agencies. Although AI holds promise for improving communication, increasing investigative capacity, and streamlining administrative tasks in forensic investigations, potential risks such as data privacy concerns, analysis errors, and bias must be carefully considered. Through workshop presentations, publications and other research dissemination, RTI and NIST seek to address these challenges and promote responsible AI deployment in forensic investigations.

RTI and NIST plan to host a workshop in order to communicate the state of artificial intelligence, identify the unique technical challenges in forensic science and outline specific forensic science problems that can benefit from AI technology. RTI and NIST will engage with the community including experts in the use and deployment of artificial intelligence driven technologies and representatives from across the criminal justice system including FSSPs, LEAs, and the legal community. Support for this event was provided, in part, by National Institute of Standards and Technology financial assistance award 70NANB24H237. If you would like to receive updates, please sign up here!

Forensic Science Validation and AI Questionnaire

You know validations in forensic science are essential to ensure the test methods we use in our laboratories are reliable and fit for purpose. You also know how challenging they can be due to limited guidance validation design, difficulty in sourcing appropriate test samples, and the strain they put on already limited laboratory resources. To address these challenges, RTI International is developing tools and resources to improve validations in forensic science.

To assist in this work, a questionnaire has been developed by RTI to gather information about how validations are performed in the forensic science community. This questionnaire is also collecting information about how your labs are using AI tools in forensic science. Your participation, or that of someone in your organization, is greatly appreciated.