NARA · NARA - 0004 · record R3200

Amelia Earhart AI Search

National Archives and Records Administration · National Archives & Records Administration (NARA)

Overview

Development stage: DeployedSource: c) Deployed – The use case is being actively authorized or utilized to support the functions or mission of an agency.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: 2025-12-01 (day precision)Source: 2025-12-01T00:00:00
Withheld from public reporting: NoSource: a) No

Mission

Topic area: Other
Operational functions: No function tag matched Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

The AI is intended to solve the manual search limitations when processing massive historical datasets by using Natural Language Processing to accurately locate and declassify specific records required for public release

Expected benefits

The intended purpose of this AI Proof of Concept (POC) is to efficiently retrieve and prepare for release all government records related to Amelia Earhart and her final trip, following the Presidential directive of September 26, 2025. The expected benefit is to leverage Natural Language Processing (NLP) search capabilities to overcome the limitations of traditional search methods, enabling the National Archives to effectively and accurately locate the necessary results from vast holdings and fulfill its legal mandate to make these specific historical records accessible to the American public.

System outputs

This AI system's outputs will go beyond traditional keyword retrieval to identify, connect, and surface all relevant Amelia Earhart records, including contextual details about her final trip, thus providing researchers with better search results and showing connections between disparate records, making the overall research process easier and more insightful.

Technology

AI classification: Natural language processingSource: Natural Language Processing: AI that processes, interprets, and shares information in human language.
System name(s): Archives.gov
Custom-developed code: Yes
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Developed in-houseSource: b) Developed in-house
Vendor (as reported): Not reported
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: No
Privacy Impact Assessment: www.archives.gov ↗
Authorization to Operate: Yes
Demographic features: k) None of the above
Training and evaluation data: The data is publicly available at Archives.gov
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewNo answer reported

Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported

Operator trainingNo answer reported

Fail-safeNo answer reported

Appeal processNo answer reported

User and public consultationNo answer reported

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported