Clearview AI is testing InquiryIQ, an unreleased AI prototype designed to automate web searches and compile detailed profiles of individuals identified via facial recognition. The tool, discovered in Clearview AI's public login page files, has tested models from Elon Musk's xAI (Grok) and Amazon Bedrock. While Clearview AI CEO Amos Kyler emphasizes that the tool is a prototype requiring human verification, privacy experts warn that compressing manual detective work into minutes eliminates practical barriers to government surveillance.
InquiryIQ prototype development
- ▪Clearview AI CEO Amos Kyler stated that InquiryIQ is a prototype that has never been pitched or shipped to customers, and has never been used by law enforcement.
- ▪WIRED discovered the InquiryIQ prototype by analyzing code and user interface text in files sent to browsers from the Clearview AI login page.
- ▪Clearview AI has built and tested an unreleased, experimental artificial intelligence prototype called InquiryIQ, designed to automate web searches for law enforcement investigations.
xAI Grok model integration
- ▪Amazon Web Services stated that it is not involved in developing InquiryIQ and does not have terms preventing law enforcement from using Amazon Bedrock.
- ▪Clearview AI's InquiryIQ prototype tested a model from SpaceXAI, the Elon Musk-owned developer of the Grok chatbot that merged with xAI in February 2026.
- ▪The InquiryIQ user interface includes controls for selecting different artificial intelligence models to run research, listing xAI and Amazon Bedrock as options.
Automated web profiling capabilities
- ▪InquiryIQ is designed to build a Candidate Graph of identities and associates while compiling addresses, phone numbers, arrest history, and social media accounts.
- ▪InquiryIQ is designed to take details from a Clearview AI facial recognition search and automatically search the web to compile a profile of a subject.
- ▪The InquiryIQ interface allows investigators to input demographic details like age, gender, and race to help the system make smarter search decisions.
Privacy concerns from automation
- ▪Boston University privacy scholar Woodrow Hartzog argued that the labor and friction of manual investigations historically served as a practical check on government surveillance.
- ▪National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers litigation director Michael Price raised concerns that hallucination-prone generative AI tools are unreliable for establishing probable cause.
- ▪George Washington University law professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson noted that AI-assisted investigations could provide a clearer, more auditable record of police investigative paths.
Surveillance expansion risks
- ▪Clearview AI's facial recognition technology is currently used by more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States.
- ▪Clearview AI secured a one-year, $225,000 contract with US Customs and Border Protection in February 2026 for tactical targeting and counter-network analysis.
- ▪Clearview AI's database of facial images harvested from publicly accessible web content has grown from 3 billion in 2020 to over 70 billion.
Law enforcement use restrictions
- ▪Under a 2022 settlement with the ACLU, Clearview AI is required to restrict its customer base exclusively to vetted government and law enforcement agencies.
- ▪Amos Kyler became the CEO of Clearview AI in October 2025, succeeding founder Hoan Ton-That who stepped down in December 2024.
Debatable claims
- ▪AI-assisted investigations improve the accountability of police searches
- ▪Law enforcement should not use AI to automate web investigations
- ▪Generative AI outputs should not be used to establish probable cause
Story comments
Loading comments…