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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Detectives and Criminal Investigators?
Task-level automation exposure for Detectives and Criminal Investigators: 30 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
37%
weighted task index
30 of 30 tasks scored
Median Salary
$93,790 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
High
114,430 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+0.2%
employment change
7,800 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 52 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$54,500 – $160,760
Highest medians
District of Columbia $160,760
Maryland $126,730
California $124,840
Delaware $122,050
New Jersey $116,300
Lowest medians
Arkansas $54,500
Mississippi $58,640
Louisiana $60,450
South Carolina $62,760
North Carolina $63,280
State figures come from the 33-3021 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 37%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 12%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 11%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 22%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 82/100
High
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
30 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 21%
6 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 26%
8 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 52%
16 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Emerging & rewritten tasks
Tasks O*NET added or rewrote for this occupation in its recent updates (05/2025 – 08/2026), with who proposed them. Additions are not in the scored task inventory — they are new work O*NET is still measuring, so they appear here and nowhere in the index. A Revision replaces a task that is scored, which is why only those move the "Rewritten by O*NET" share.
- New 05/2025 · AI/SME
Operate drones for aerial surveillance or to gather evidence from difficult to reach locations.
Constituent Tasks
#23029 · Core · 72% automatable
Prepare reports that detail investigation findings.
text generation — Incident reports drafted from facts; human reviews
Prepare investigation or incident reports.
#23034 · Core · 33% automatable
Obtain and verify evidence by interviewing and observing suspects and witnesses or by analyzing records.
data analysis — Record screening aided, investigative judgment human
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities. Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence. Interview people to gather information about criminal activities.
#23026 · Core · 30% automatable
Preserve, process, and analyze items of evidence obtained from crime scenes and suspects, placing them in proper containers and destroying evidence no longer needed.
physical manipulation — Crime scene evidence requires physical collection
Analyze crime scene evidence. Process forensic or legal evidence in accordance with procedures.
#23022 · Core · 20% automatable
Obtain facts or statements from complainants, witnesses, and accused persons and record interviews, using recording device.
interpersonal — Criminal interviews need human judgment and presence
Interview people to gather information about criminal activities.
#23024 · Core · 67% automatable
Record progress of investigation, maintain informational files on suspects, and submit reports to commanding officer or magistrate to authorize warrants.
text generation — Incident reports drafted from facts; human reviews
Record information about suspects or criminals. Prepare investigation or incident reports.
#23033 · Core · 58% automatable
Analyze completed police reports to determine what additional information and investigative work is needed.
data analysis — Record screening aided, investigative judgment human
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities.
#23028 · Core · 20% automatable
Note, mark, and photograph location of objects found, such as footprints, tire tracks, bullets and bloodstains, and take measurements of the scene.
physical manipulation — Scene evidence capture requires human presence
Record crime or accident scene evidence with video or still cameras.
#23023 · Core · 9% automatable
Secure deceased body and obtain evidence from it, preventing bystanders from tampering with it prior to medical examiner's arrival.
situated mobility — Physical guarding of restricted areas
Examine crime scenes to obtain evidence. Prevent unauthorized individuals from entering restricted areas.
#23046 · Core · 55% automatable
Determine scope, timing, and direction of investigations.
decision support — Procedures drafted; human validates feasibility
Determine operational procedures.
#23045 · Core · 8% automatable
Search for and collect evidence, such as fingerprints, using investigative equipment.
physical manipulation — Crime scene examination is physical, situated work
Examine crime scenes to obtain evidence.
#23039 · Core · 30% automatable
Organize scene search, assigning specific tasks and areas of search to individual officers and obtaining adequate lighting as necessary.
decision support — Criminal investigation direction needs accountable judgment
Direct criminal investigations.
#23030 · Core · 70% automatable
Examine records and governmental agency files to find identifying data about suspects.
information retrieval — Database queries for investigation details
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities. Use databases to locate investigation details or other information.
#23050 · Core · 58% automatable
Examine records to locate links in chains of evidence or information.
data analysis — Record screening aided, investigative judgment human
Examine records or other types of data to investigate criminal activities.
#23035 · Core · 10% automatable
Prepare and serve search and arrest warrants.
situated mobility — Physical service of court documents in the world
Serve court ordered documents.
#23027 · Core · 30% automatable
Obtain summary of incident from officer in charge at crime scene, taking care to avoid disturbing evidence.
physical manipulation — Evidence collection is fieldwork with chain of custody
Collect evidence for legal proceedings.
#23042 · Core · 15% automatable
Testify before grand juries concerning criminal activity investigations.
interpersonal — Testimony carries legal accountability and live presence
Testify at legal or legislative proceedings.
#23031 · Core · 3% automatable
Secure persons at scene, keeping witnesses from conversing or leaving the scene before investigators arrive.
physical manipulation — Physically detaining suspects
Detain suspects or witnesses.
#23038 · Core · 3% automatable
Participate or assist in raids and arrests.
physical manipulation — Physically apprehending suspects
Apprehend criminal suspects.
#23037 · Core · 30% automatable
Identify case issues and evidence needed, based on analysis of charges, complaints, or allegations of law violations.
physical manipulation — Scene inspection and evidence gathering human
Investigate accidents to determine causes.
#23036 · Core · 20% automatable
Question individuals or observe persons and establishments to confirm information given to patrol officers.
situated mobility — Surveillance and observation require physical presence
Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence. Interview people to gather information about criminal activities.
#23048 · Core · 45% automatable
Collaborate with other offices and agencies to exchange information and coordinate activities.
interpersonal — Law enforcement info sharing needs trusted humans
Collaborate with law enforcement or security agencies to share information.
#23025 · Core · 78% automatable
Prepare charges or responses to charges, or information for court cases, according to formalized procedures.
text generation — Document regulatory info from provided facts
Document legal or regulatory information.
#23021 · Core · 15% automatable
Check victims for signs of life, such as breathing and pulse.
visual inspection — Physical exam of bodies requires hands-on presence
Check physical condition of people or animals.
#23032 · Core · 60% automatable
Provide information to lab personnel concerning the source of an item of evidence and tests to be performed.
text generation — Relaying situation details is structured communication
Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel.
#23040 · Core · 57% automatable
Summon medical help for injured individuals and alert medical personnel to take statements from them.
text generation — Relaying situation details is structured communication
Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel. Request emergency personnel.
#23043 · Core · 6% automatable
Block or rope off scene and check perimeter to ensure that entire scene is secured.
physical manipulation — Physically blocking access to areas
Block physical access to restricted areas.
#23044 · Core · 60% automatable
Notify, or request notification of, medical examiner or district attorney representative.
text generation — Relaying situation details is structured communication
Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel.
#23047 · Core · 35% automatable
Maintain surveillance of establishments to obtain identifying information on suspects.
visual inspection — AI can watch camera feeds; human maintains physical surveillance
Maintain surveillance of individuals or establishments.
#23041 · Core · 57% automatable
Notify command of situation and request assistance.
text generation — Relaying situation details is structured communication
Communicate situation details to appropriate personnel. Request emergency personnel.
#23049 · Core · 35% automatable
Perform undercover assignments and maintain surveillance, including monitoring authorized wiretaps.
visual inspection — AI can watch camera feeds; human maintains physical surveillance
Maintain surveillance of individuals or establishments.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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