The US government plans to use AI to help redact documents

Steve Dent· Sep 28, 2026 · 11:25 AM UTC ·2 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 6 views

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TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The US Department of Homeland Security plans to implement Google's AI tools to assist in redacting sensitive information from Freedom of Information Act requests. This initiative aims to significantly reduce processing times for the large volume of documents handled by US Customs and Border Protection. While other federal agencies are also developing or using AI for similar tasks, experts warn that these tools could potentially increase government secrecy.

Key facts

▪US Customs and Border Protection will use Google's AI to recommend redactions for FOIA requests by the end of September 2026.
▪The AI system is expected to handle approximately 100,000 to 140,000 documents, which constitute over 10 percent of total FOIA requests.
▪Other agencies like the Interior Department and the Department of Justice are also utilizing AI tools from Microsoft and Veriton for document redaction.
▪FOIA experts have expressed concern that the use of AI for redaction may serve as a powerful tool for increased government secrecy.

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Original publisher	Engadget
Canonical URL	https://www.engadget.com/2270348/the-us-government-plans-to-use-ai-to-help-redact-documents/
Publication time	Mon, 28 Sep 2026 11:25:54 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-09-28T11:31:07.657Z
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

News AI The US government plans to use AI to help redact documents The DHS will use Google's AI tools to recommend information to be blacked out of FOIA requests. By Steve Dent Sept. 28, 2026 7:25 am EST Ascannio/Shutterstock Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover Document redactions have been in the spotlight lately thanks to the US Justice Department's Epstein file release, which used it to black out text in millions of documents. Now, the government plans to use AI to handle that redaction chore for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, according to GitHub documents seen by The Washington Post.

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