Will AI replace intelligence analysts?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 49m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The breakdown: 43m that AI mostly does alone, 6m that robots have done in real workplaces. The other 7h 11m (90%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 0.2% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 2 of 21 tasks, about 43m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Design, use, or maintain databases and software applications, such as geographic information systems (GIS) mapping and artificial intelligence tools. (24m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Gather intelligence information by field observation, confidential information sources, or public records. (18m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 1 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 6m of a typical shift.

• Operate cameras, radios, or other surveillance equipment to intercept communications or document activities. (6m a shift; e.g. Anduril Autonomous Surveillance Tower (Sentry + Lattice), in use)

7h 11m of a typical shift, or 90%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Gather, analyze, correlate, or evaluate information from a variety of resources, such as law enforcement databases. (1h 25m a shift)
• Prepare comprehensive written reports, presentations, maps, or charts, based on research, collection, and analysis of intelligence data. (1h 13m a shift)
• Analyze intelligence data to identify patterns and trends in criminal activity. (55m a shift)
• Collaborate with representatives from other government and intelligence organizations to share information or coordinate intelligence activities. (36m a shift)
• Link or chart suspects to criminal organizations or events to determine activities and interrelationships. (30m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 70% talk face to face with others every day
• 52% are in constant contact with other people

On Indeed, job postings in the Security & Public Safety sector are at 119% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 4.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 7,800 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $93,790 a year ($45.09 an hour), 84% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $55,390 and $160,540 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 0.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 121,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 7,800 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 114,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.07% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 250th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 121,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 65% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Reading Comprehension, Writing, Active Listening, Critical Thinking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 11m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Hadoop
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Make recommendations for investigations and subpoenas.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (1h 10m touched, $81k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 observed in real AI use, 1 with robots in real deployments, 18 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.