In a surprising revelation, former Director of National Intelligence under President Donald Trump, Tulsi Gabbard, admitted she used artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in determining which documents could be declassified from the John F. Kennedy assassination files, according to a report from The Associated Press on Tuesday evening.
Speaking at the Amazon Web Services Summit, Gabbard advocated for the responsible use of AI in the intelligence community. “AI programs, when used responsibly, can save money and free up intelligence officers to focus on gathering and analyzing information,” she said.
Gabbard expressed frustration over the traditionally slow pace of intelligence work, which she experienced firsthand as a member of Congress. She explained that AI can assist in a variety of ways, including managing human resources and scanning sensitive documents in preparation for potential declassification.
As a real-world example, Gabbard disclosed that she employed AI technology to help carry out former President Trump’s directive to release classified materials related to both John F. Kennedy’s assassination and that of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy.
“Experts had predicted the process could take many months or even years, but AI accelerated the work by scanning the documents to see if they contained any material that should remain classified,” Gabbard said. “We have been able to do that through the use of AI tools far more quickly than what was done previously, which was to have humans go through and look at every single one of these pages.”
Despite the efficiency gains, the Trump administration faced backlash in March when the JFK files were made public. Critics argued that the release included extensive personal information that should have remained confidential. Notably, hundreds of congressional staffers had their Social Security numbers exposed in the document dump.
The release reignited public fascination and speculation around the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, carried out by Lee Harvey Oswald during a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas. The event has long fueled conspiracy theories implicating a wide range of actors, including the Soviet Union, the CIA, and domestic political opponents.
Although the official conclusion points to Oswald as the lone gunman, skepticism remains widespread. Gabbard’s use of AI in handling such a historically significant and politically sensitive topic adds a new dimension to the debate about both transparency and technological reliance in matters of national security.