- AI helps requesters brainstorm agencies, identify records, and narrow requests before filing, improving specificity.
- Post-release, AI aids in summarizing documents, extracting data, and creating indexes, but outputs should be verified as leads, not facts.
- Requesters should avoid using AI for legal advice due to risks of fabricated citations and inaccurate legal analysis.
- Agencies are adopting AI, machine learning, and e-discovery tools to manage FOIA workloads, but human judgment remains crucial for exemptions.