# SoK: Exploring the State of the Art and the Future Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Forensic Investigation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.01987 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.01987/

## Key facts

- Cited by 7 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 2 Dec 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [ChatGPT for Digital Forensic Investigation: The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2307.10195/) (2023)
- [A Comprehensive Analysis of the Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Modern Digital Forensics and Incident Response](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.07064/) (2023)
- [Computer Vision for Multimedia Geolocation in Human Trafficking Investigation: A Systematic Literature Review](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.15448/) (2024)
- [XAI-CF -- Examining the Role of Explainable Artificial Intelligence in Cyber Forensics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.02452/) (2024)
- [Empowering Future Cybersecurity Leaders: Advancing Students through FINDS Education for Digital Forensic Excellence](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.00222/) (2026)
- [A Modular Approach to Automatic Cyber Threat Attribution using Opinion Pools](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.14090/) (2024)
- [VAAS: Vision-Attention Anomaly Scoring for Image Manipulation Detection in Digital Forensics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.15512/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Multi-year digital forensic backlogs have become commonplace in law enforcement agencies throughout the globe. Digital forensic investigators are overloaded with the volume of cases requiring their expertise compounded by the volume of data to be processed. Artificial intelligence is often seen as the solution to many big data problems. This paper summarises existing artificial intelligence based tools and approaches in digital forensics. Automated evidence processing leveraging artificial intelligence based techniques shows great promise in expediting the digital forensic analysis process while increasing case processing capacities. For each application of artificial intelligence highlighted, a number of current challenges and future potential impact is discussed.