It’s no secret that the world of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is evolving more rapidly every year. 2026 is no exception, driven in particular by the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence. Here, we’ll explore the key trends we expect in 2026 and the best practices organisations using OSINT need to implement to ensure they stay ahead.
Deepfakes: Verifying what’s real
AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes are making it harder than ever to trust what we see online. In 2026, OSINT professionals will face an even greater need to verify the authenticity of information, as bad actors use advanced tools to manipulate media and create convincing fake identities.
It will be crucial for organisations to ensure that their investigators are trained in how to spot AI-generated content. Otherwise, they may unknowingly facilitate crime. Access to broad, high-quality data sources that are less susceptible to disinformation will be key here. Such sources can help investigators to cross-compare information and ensure output quality. For example, this might involve verifying beneficial ownership information mentioned in online news articles by comparing it with premium corporate records sources.
The AI opportunity
While AI is fuelling the spread of disinformation, it’s also transforming OSINT itself. AI excels in the areas where humans are less efficient, such as large-scale data collection. Therefore, investigators are increasingly adopting AI-powered tools to collect and analyse data, unlocking insights that might otherwise be missed.
Yet relying solely on AI for the entirety of an investigation is risky due to tendencies towards bias and hallucination. Human expertise remains crucial for context-aware analysis, verification and ethical decision-making. Striking the correct balance between human insight and AI efficiency will be key to success in 2026.
At the same time, the efficiency gains presented by AI will provide a further opportunity: organisations may be able to shift from reactive investigations to proactive monitoring. In particular, agentic AI can support targeted continuous data collection and analysis to detect threats. This will help organisations to get ahead of impending threats rather than simply responding to existing ones.
Data fragmentation and convergence
New regulations and political decisions are leading to shifting data availability across the globe. As data sources become more fragmented and some platforms restrict access, investigators will need to find creative ways to access business-critical data. We’re seeing growing demands to converge internal and external data, allowing organisations to enrich their existing data to enhance its value - and this is only set to increase in 2026.
Regulation driving OSINT adoption
Additionally, new regulations are making OSINT a necessity. Two examples include:
- The upcoming European Supply Chain Directive, which will require companies to manage human rights and environmental risks more effectively.
- The UK’s Failure to Prevent Fraud Act, which holds organisations accountable for fraud prevention.
In both these cases, OSINT will be key to supporting organisations’ ability to identify risk. Analysis of corporate records, adverse media, local media and more will be essential to reducing risk and ensuring compliance.
The EU AI Act is also raising the bar for transparency and explainability in AI-driven investigations. Where OSINT tools are AI-enabled, they will need to support compliance and provide clear audit trails.
Conclusion: The human factor remains critical
Despite advances in technology, human judgement and expertise will continue to define the most successful OSINT processes in 2026. The best defence against AI-driven criminal activity will be a combination of smart automation and skilled investigators, who can validate findings and ensure ethical standards are met. Combining OSINT with internal data, and advanced technology with human insight will be fundamental to success in an increasingly complex information landscape.
