Private investigator free of blame

A man facing criminal charges turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to challenge the work of a private investigator — but his complaint was ultimately dismissed by the licensing authority.

James Kelly, who faced two unspecified criminal charges in Waikato and Nelson, hired private investigator David Brown (names anonymised by the authority) to review the police case against him.

Kelly paid Brown a $2000 retainer for 10 hours of work and an “honest opinion” on the strength of the evidence.

Brown examined court files and found several key documents missing, eventually reviewing hundreds of pages of material and CCTV footage.

However, Kelly later began asking for advice on unrelated complaints he wanted to lodge with the Independent Police Conduct Authority and the Privacy Commissioner — tasks outside the scope of their agreement.

According to authority chairwoman Trish McConnell, the hours covered by the retainer ran out before Brown could complete his report.

Brown said Kelly was initially pleased with his thoroughness until additional funding was raised, at which point the relationship soured.

Unhappy with the investigator’s opinion — particularly Brown’s remark that “the evidence is overwhelming” — Kelly turned to AI for a second opinion.

The AI tool advised that a private investigator should “identify suspects, uncover overlooked evidence, and provide expert testimony.”

Using that guidance, Kelly filed a complaint with the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority, claiming Brown’s work was “not fit for purpose” and requesting a refund.

However, McConnell dismissed the complaint, stating that Brown had fulfilled his contractual obligations.

“Mr Brown did what he was engaged to do — review the criminal files and give an honest assessment of the evidence,” McConnell said.

“There is no evidence of misconduct or breach of the Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010.”

The authority ruled that Kelly’s dissatisfaction stemmed from the advice he received — not from any professional failing. His complaint was formally dismissed.