Washington, DC – In the future, artificial intelligence could augment the background investigative work performed by humans, cutting the time it takes and providing a more realistic, in-depth and realistic profile of the individual, the technical director for research and development and technology transfer at the Defense Security Service's National Background Investigative Services said recently. Mark Nehmer spoke at the "Genius Machines: The New Age of Artificial Intelligence" event, hosted by Nextgov and Defense One in Arlington, Virginia. Millions of service members, federal employees and contractors receive background checks and are issued clearances on a periodic basis. There are several problems with the current system of background investigations, Nehmer said. The use of artificial intelligence, or AI, could significantly reduce the time it takes investigations and ease the strain on already-overworked personnel and reduce the backlog of cases, Nehmer said.

AI software being tested by the US defence department could one day lead to systems for keeping tabs on employees, experts have warned. The Defense Security Service (DSS) project monitors all online activity of employees with top-secret clearance - including emails, social media use and websites visited. It's trained to detect'micro changes' in the behaviour of employees looking for evidence untrustworthy employees and the future risks they may pose. The system would analyse employee data from their online activity and the information they provided through initial screening processes. If the pilot proves successful it could provide a model for the future of corporate AI, civil liberties groups suggest.