The U.S. Secret Service is expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities by combining targeted hiring, rapid experimentation, and close collaboration with mission teams, according to Chief Information Officer Chris Kraft.
Kraft says the agency is actively seeking AI experts who are motivated by the Secret Service's mission and can help transform operations across protection, investigations, and administrative functions.
"We're looking for people that are passionate about our mission," Kraft says, adding that AI expertise can help the agency "really transform the agency and help us leverage this technology."
The modernization effort extends well beyond a single mission area. Kraft explains that AI can improve operational capabilities while also creating efficiencies in support functions such as human resources and finance. He points to applications including facial recognition and technologies that help officers and agents identify threats at a scale that would otherwise be impossible.
Rather than implementing artificial intelligence simply because it is available, Kraft says the Secret Service focuses on identifying practical use cases that solve operational problems.
"I have found that by piloting use cases and seeing where there's value, and then focusing on those where there seems to be a return and iterating quickly," he says.
If a pilot does not demonstrate value, the agency moves on quickly. If it succeeds, leaders evaluate whether the capability can benefit multiple parts of the organization instead of remaining isolated within a single office.
Kraft says collaboration is essential throughout that process.
Mission partners work alongside technology teams to explain operational challenges and provide continuous feedback about whether new capabilities improve day-to-day work. That communication helps technology leaders prioritize projects that deliver measurable mission impact.
His experience helping establish the Department of Homeland Security's AI Corps also influences how he approaches workforce development at the Secret Service.
Kraft recalls hiring dozens of AI specialists from leading technology companies and says the experience demonstrated that federal agencies can compete successfully for highly skilled talent.
"There were so many amazing individuals that joined the team," he says.
He believes the Secret Service's mission provides a compelling reason for experts to enter government service.
"I don't have a badge, I don't have a gun, but I have AI superpowers," Kraft says. "With that, we can make everybody more effective in the agency."
The CIO also emphasizes collaboration beyond the Secret Service.
Federal agencies often face similar technology challenges, he says, making it important to exchange ideas, share successful approaches, and build on capabilities already in place elsewhere in government rather than solving every problem independently.
Kraft says his first year leading the agency's technology organization has reinforced another important lesson: technology investments only deliver value when employees understand how to use them.
He believes the Secret Service already possesses many capabilities that employees have not fully adopted.
"If I had everyone stop developing new capabilities for two months, and we just trained on everything that we have today, the organization would think that we've done more in those two months than we've ever done," he says.
Training employees to understand existing tools is therefore just as important as developing new ones.
Beyond artificial intelligence, Kraft highlights ongoing efforts to improve mobile communications for officers and agents operating across a range of operational environments.
He says the Secret Service has evaluated multiple mobile providers, introduced dual-SIM capabilities to improve reliability, and expanded the number of applications available on agency devices. Those improvements help ensure personnel have consistent access to the technology they rely on during operations.
Throughout the interview, Kraft returns to a consistent message: modernization succeeds when technology directly supports mission execution.
Whether evaluating AI pilots, improving mobile technology, or training employees, the Secret Service measures success by how effectively technology enables people to perform their jobs.
By combining practical experimentation, workforce development, cross-government collaboration, and reliable operational technology, the agency continues to build an AI strategy focused on measurable outcomes rather than technology for its own sake.