Will AI replace Detectives and Criminal Investigators?
Estimated risk score: 38 out of 100
Lower replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (19 to 57).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 30 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 33-3021.00 · Protective Service
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 5 of its 30 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
- Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.
- Examine records to locate links in chains of evidence or information.
- Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
- Notify, or request notification of, medical examiner or district attorney representative.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 14 of its 30 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Block or rope off scene and check perimeter to ensure that entire scene is secured.
- Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
- Participate or assist in raids and arrests.
- Prepare and serve search and arrest warrants.
- Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
- Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.
What the job is
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
Also called: Criminal Investigator, PI, Spy, DEA AGENT, US Marshal, Air Marshal, FBI Profiler, City Detective.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate