Published on: April 29, 2026
An ATIXA Tip of the Week by Mikiba Morehead, Ed.D., M.A.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming civil rights investigations by changing the types of evidence, the forms of misconduct, and the evaluation techniques. While practitioners might be tempted to wait for technology to stabilize, laws to adapt, or formal guidance to emerge, that is impractical. The future is here, and it’s shaping investigations today. Now is the time to leverage technology in your work and learn the myriad of ways it can facilitate sexual misconduct.
To help practitioners navigate these changes, ATIXA is launching two new workshops. The first, the Leveraging Technology in Civil Rights Investigations Workshop, teaches coordinators and investigators how to use technology and AI tools responsibly in civil rights investigations.
The second, the Addressing Technology-Facilitated Sexual Misconduct Workshop, examines how technology is used in cases of sexual misconduct to create harm and hostile environments. We will cover this workshop in the next Tip of the Week.
The Evidence Landscape
Investigators have always managed documentary evidence, such as emails, statements, and photos. What’s new is the sheer scale and variety. Investigators now receive entire text message histories containing thousands of texts, as well as social media posts, comment threads, screenshots, videos, and vast collections of digital files. A single submission can contain hundreds of pages, and managing this volume while ensuring accuracy is a major challenge. Investigators have to organize it, notate it, identify omitted content and context, and ensure files are complete, authentic, and unaltered.
In the past, verifying authenticity was simpler. Altering a document or photo once required specialized skills that few individuals possessed, meaning most digital evidence could be taken at face value. Now, the barrier to manipulation is much lower. AI tools and user-friendly editing software make it easy to create or alter digital content. As a result, investigators must always consider whether evidence has been fabricated or edited. Evaluating the credibility of digital evidence has become a core investigative skill, and ATIXA is here to train the field in this skillset.
Title IX investigations increasingly require practitioners who understand the basics of digital evidence. Recognizing signs of altered images or documents helps investigators ask more informed questions during interviews and evidence reviews. Concepts like metadata, timestamps, and digital file histories can help determine when information was created or modified. This knowledge can also highlight gaps, inconsistencies, or missing information that may affect the interpretation of evidence.
AI Isn’t Only a Risk. It’s Also a Tool.
While much of the conversation around AI focuses on the risks it poses, practitioners should also understand how it can support investigative work. When used appropriately and in line with institutional privacy policies, AI tools can help investigators manage their workload. Secure enterprise AI systems can assist with organizing evidence, summarizing transcripts, identifying themes across large document sets, and drafting reports. These tools are especially helpful for institutions with limited investigative staff and substantial caseloads.
Of course, using AI requires careful consideration. Investigators must understand the implications of uploading private information, using secure platforms, and remaining responsible for the final analysis and conclusions. Knowing how to use AI for assistance without replacing investigative judgment is a key part of modern investigative competence.
Start Learning at the Summer Symposium
Technology evolves quickly, and investigators who develop these skills now will be better prepared for what’s next. From surveillance apps to counter-surveillance apps to keystroke recorders to digital footprint detection, digital evidence is central to many complaints, and professionals who understand these dynamics and tools will be able to conduct more reliable and defensible investigations.
Next week in Part Two, we will examine another emerging challenge: technology-facilitated sexual misconduct.
Enroll in ATIXA’s Leveraging Technology in Civil Rights Investigations Workshop and Addressing Technology-Facilitated Sexual Misconduct Workshop, which will be offered in person at ATIXA’s Summer Symposium in Denver, Colorado.