IntegrityRisk’s Practical Approach to AI in Due Diligence

A lot of due diligence firms are now talking about AI and advanced research technology. Integrity Risk International has been testing and using these tools for years.

Threat.Digital has worked with the IntegrityRisk team for several years, and during that time we have seen how they evaluate new research technology. IntegrityRisk has consistently been willing to test new tools and decide where they actually improve the research process.

IntegrityRisk uses Threat.Digital, but it also evaluates other tools. A new product has to demonstrate that it improves the research process before it becomes part of the workflow.

As AI tools improve, due diligence firms increasingly have to decide which parts of the work should change and which should not.

Technology has to improve the investigation

IntegrityRisk provides due diligence and investigative services including third-party diligence, investigations, executive background checks, beneficial ownership, cryptocurrency, compliance, and other risk matters. The firm describes its approach as balancing technology-enabled solutions with human judgment.

In its post, AI and Due Diligence: A Responsible Approach, IntegrityRisk lays out where it believes AI is useful and where additional controls are required.

The firm points to early-stage research, large datasets, cross-border investigations, related-party identification, adverse media review, and quality control as areas where technology can make investigators more effective.

Used well, these tools can help investigators review more information and find relevant leads earlier. That leaves more time for verification, analysis, and the investigative work that cannot be automated reliably.

Testing the tools is part of using them responsibly

IntegrityRisk has an internal AI committee that evaluates tools for quality, efficiency, ethical, and regulatory considerations. It tests technology against known results, monitors performance, and defines where particular tools should and should not be used.

That is different from adopting a tool because AI functionality has become a selling point.

Due diligence software is changing quickly. Search tools and language models are improving, and new data sources continue to become available. Regular testing helps firms determine which new capabilities are useful and which do not meet their standards.

IntegrityRisk is willing to test new approaches, but testing does not imply automatic adoption. The focus is whether the technology improves the workflow and end product.

Why human review still matters

IntegrityRisk also takes a cautious position on relying on AI-generated findings without review. Its process calls for analysts to verify AI-assisted findings and trace material information back to appropriate, reliable sources.

We take a similar view. In our paper on applied AI and due diligence, we emphasize that AI is changing the scale and speed at which investigators can work while professional judgment remains central to credible investigations.

Firms and technology providers will draw that line in different places, and it will change as the tools improve.

What technology adoption looks like in practice

The most useful technology in due diligence often disappears into the workflow.

An investigator may use one system to identify relevant adverse media, another to access records in a difficult jurisdiction, another to map corporate relationships, and another to organize findings. The client ultimately sees the research and the analyst's conclusions, rather than the collection of tools that helped produce them.

IntegrityRisk has been operating this way for years: testing technology, incorporating useful tools into its research process, yet still relying on experienced investigators for parts of the work that require human analysis and interpretation for accuracy.

Working with IntegrityRisk has given us a good model of how due diligence firms can evaluate and adopt new technology. The team tests new tools, questions the results, and keeps the ones that improve the work.

Learn more about IntegrityRisk International and read its perspective on AI and Due Diligence: A Responsible Approach.