This article was produced with support from the Capitol Forum.
The Secret Service spent $50,000 on Microsoft Azure and OpenAI cloud services, according to internal Secret Service documents obtained by 404 Media.
The news shows that U.S. federal law enforcement is actively moving into the world of AI, with the Secret Service saying it won’t disclose the use case because it does not discuss methods used for its “operations.” It also comes after a recent White House policy change that will require federal agencies to, among other things, ensure they have proper safeguards when using AI that could impact Americans’ rights or safety. The Secret Service recently faced a wave of criticism after two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, with the director resigning in July.
“The USSS [U.S. Secret Service] has a requirement to procure r [sic] Microsoft Azure-Open AI cloud-based services,” a Secret Service memorandum dated September 2023 reads. 404 Media obtained the document and others through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Secret Service.