Clearview AI has been quietly developing and testing an experimental artificial intelligence tool called InquiryIQ, which is designed to automatically scour the internet for personal information once an investigator identifies a person of interest. WIRED discovered the tool through code embedded in Clearview's login page, revealing that it can browse webpages, analyse images and compile profiles including possible employers, aliases, associates and physical characteristics. The development is significant because it could dramatically speed up police investigations while also lowering the threshold for surveillance, making it easier for officers to scrutinise people who might otherwise never have attracted attention.

The tool's interface reportedly suggests that inputting a subject's age, gender and race can help it make "smarter decisions", and one of the AI models tested to power this was SpaceXAI's Grok, developed by Elon Musk's company, which has previously faced criticism for producing racist and inflammatory content. Clearview insists InquiryIQ is merely a prototype that has never been sold or used by law enforcement, with chief executive Amos Kyler stressing that police have had no involvement in selecting which AI model runs searches. Experts warn that such tools could make it harder to trace why an investigation focused on a particular lead, given the variable nature of AI-generated outputs. Clearview, founded in 2017, has a controversial history, including revelations about founder Hoan Ton-That's past links to far-right figures.