🕵️♂️ When AI Meets Investigations: Lessons from a Recent Licensing Case
A recent decision from New Zealand’s Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority has underscored a critical truth about our industry:
Technology can inform investigations — but it cannot replace professional judgment.
In the case, a man (referred to as Kelly) engaged a licensed private investigator (Brown) to provide an honest assessment of the police case against him.
After paying a $2000 retainer and receiving a report that described the evidence as “overwhelming,” Kelly turned to an AI tool to check whether the investigator had done his job properly.
The AI told him that a private investigator should “identify suspects, uncover overlooked evidence, and provide expert testimony.”
Relying on that advice, Kelly lodged a formal complaint — claiming the investigator’s report was biased and “not fit for purpose.”
However, the Authority disagreed.
Chairperson Trish McConnell found that the investigator had done exactly what he was contracted to do: review the case files and provide a frank, evidence-based opinion.
In fact, the investigator had spent more time than the retainer covered to ensure accuracy and completeness.
The complaint was dismissed, with no evidence of misconduct or breach of professional standards.
⚖️ The Bigger Picture
This case highlights a growing challenge facing professional investigators worldwide — the increasing use of AI tools by clients to question or interpret investigative work.
While artificial intelligence can be useful for information analysis and open-source research, it lacks the context, ethics, and legal understanding required to interpret evidence or provide defensible professional opinions.
In investigations — particularly those involving criminal, workplace, or civil matters — expertise, integrity, and compliance with legislation remain paramount.
AI can assist, but it cannot replace experience or investigative discretion.
💡 Our View at Regional Queensland Investigations
At Regional Queensland Investigations, we embrace technology where it adds value — from open-source intelligence tools to digital evidence management systems — but always under the guidance of qualified, licensed investigators.
Our clients engage us because they want truth grounded in law, evidence, and professional standards, not the approximations of an algorithm.
