Brazil adopts AI and digital evidence for modern criminal investigations

Brazilian criminal investigations are shifting from traditional telephone wiretaps to reliance on digital data, financial intelligence reports and cloud‑based records. Former Federal Police delegate Bernardo Guidali Amaral explained that globalization and the rise of smartphones and messaging apps have moved most evidentiary material onto electronic media, prompting investigators to use tools such as Financial Intelligence Reports (RIFs), court‑approved data decryption and collaborative plea agreements.

Guidali warned that the expanding state capacity to process large data sets, including with artificial‑intelligence assistance, must be balanced against constitutional guarantees of privacy and due process. While AI can help detect patterns in massive information flows, final legal decisions must remain human‑driven to safeguard the rule of law.