23 Mar Notions of intelligence – The rise and rise of AI powered OSINT
The expansion of the internet has interwoven continents, cultures, and communities, in addition to integrating with the majority of contemporary technologies. The ubiquity of the internet has vastly increased the quantity, value, and accessibility of information, amplifying the important discipline of open-source intelligence (OSINT) to police operations.
As the security landscape becomes more complex, OSINT provides an invaluable avenue to access and collect information in addition to traditional intelligence gathering and investigative techniques which is now being amplified by the power of artificial intelligence (AI).
The rise of AI is reshaping OSINT practices without overturning their core principles. Used as a tool for exploration and objectification, AI makes it possible to process unprecedented volumes of data—provided it remains strictly framed by human methods of verification and control.
OSINT is based on the methodical exploitation of open sources to produce verifiable and contextualized information. According to the latest report published by Global Market Insights, the global OSINT market was valued at USD 12.7 billion in 2025. It is expected to grow from USD 15.9 billion in 2026 to USD 133.6 billion by 2035, with a compound annual growth rate of 26.7%.
The arrival of AI is profoundly transforming this practice, not by redefining its principles, but by extending its operational capabilities. By facilitating the processing of large volumes of heterogeneous data and helping to structure complex corpora, AI makes it possible to intervene upstream in investigative work, as a tool for exploration and prioritisation of leads.
From a national security perspective, OSINT-based solutions can enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies and security services, providing access to more actionable intelligence to inform and support existing decision making, tasking and coordination activities.
A rise in the prevalence of OSINT and its application by security forces is set against a background of conflict, insecurity, the resurgence of violence in troubled regions across the world, and state-sponsored disinformation and propaganda campaigns that threaten democracy.
Recognising these security challenges and the opportunities that OSINT affords to law enforcement and intelligence agencies across Europe, 15 practitioner agencies across Europe have joined forces to create NOTIONES (iNteracting netwOrk of inTelligence and securIty practitiOners with iNdustry and acadEmia actorS).
Funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Secure Societies programme, has over the last five years, established a Pan-European network of practitioners and other actors in the domain of intelligence for security forces, including the Swedish Police Authority, Policia Judiciaria Portuguese, Turkish Jandarma, Police Service of Northern Ireland and Carabinieri in Italy.
OSINT represents one of many novel technologies presenting practitioners with new opportunities to improve intelligence processes. However, time constraints can prevent intelligence practitioners from being updated on the most recent technologies. This can delay efforts to adapt these technologies to the needs of the intelligence community, while also hindering the early definition of counter measures to respond to related changes in the threat landscape.
To address this challenge NOTIONES has been facilitating exchange on new and emerging technologies but also equipping solution providers with insights on the corresponding needs and requirements of practitioners.
Regarding the rise of OSINT tools, techniques and technologies, the consortium of NOTIONES partners recognise that the world is being reinvented by open sources and security forces have been part of a major shift towards harnessing the capacity of online information in the public domain to enrich their intelligence gathering activities.
Such developments need to continue at pace and assessing the full impact of OSINT on the broader intelligence practices focusing upon the ability to better deliver safety and security to the public must be further explored.
When the intelligence community is seeking new and innovative ways in which to cut costs, amplify output and digitalise operating practices through investment in the latest technology, the NOTIONES network acknowledges the opportunities offered by AI-powered OSINT which must be considered as part of law enforcement and intelligence agency transformation programmes.
The interrogation of increasingly large data sets raises acute concerns for capacity, together with the ability to share and analyse large volumes of data. The introduction of OSINT capabilities will require the rigorous review of existing intelligence models and associated processes to ensure practitioners have the latest tools and training provision to maximise the full potential of the next generation of AI-powered OSINT tools, techniques and technologies.
The NOTIONES imitative will be assessing the key takeaways and lessons learned from the last five years of research, innovation and cooperation with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, . period in which the rise of OSINT amplified by AI has proliferation every aspect of the intelligence cycle.
The findings from the NOTIONES analysis will frame key discussion panels of cyber investigation experts at the IN-CYBER FORUM international conference to be held in Lille, France from 31st March to 2nd April under the patronage of the President of France.
What is clear from the learning of NOTIONES thus far, is that harnessing the power of OSINT fused with AI, presents a unique opportunity to keep one step ahead of adversaries who seek to cause harm.
Author(s): SAHER Europe