OSINT, AI, and the Emotional Cost of Watching Everything withJenna Dolecek
In this episode of The Intelligence Spotlight, Jenna Dolecek, an open source investigator and human rights advocate, offers a comprehensive look at the practical, legal, and emotional layers of OSINT work. With over a decade of experience, Jenna has worked on high-profile investigations from Myanmar to Ukraine, contributing to projects like Myanmar Witness, Eyes on Russia, and OSINT for Ukraine. She’s also a rostered expert with Justice Rapid Response, often bridging OSINT and international law.
Discussing how open source evidence feeds into legal processes, she explains, “A video could contain the act being committed and showing the perpetrators and showing the victims — I would refer to that as direct evidence.” At the same time, she highlights how platforms like Amnesty International or UN mechanisms may use such content differently, often applying varying evidentiary standards.
Ethics are central to Jenna’s approach. She recounts early training in digital verification from Amnesty International, which shaped her practices around privacy and safety. “Never, ever, ever publish any sort of identifying information about witnesses or victims — even if it's at the expense of your investigation,” she says. She also describes maintaining a database system with privacy flags to ensure sensitive material is only shared under secure, confidential conditions.
On the emotional toll of the work, Jenna is firm: “I would not let anybody work until they took [secondary trauma] training... I'm not having it.” She emphasises that all staff, including translators, are vulnerable to vicarious trauma and must be supported. “Everybody is affected. And if you say you aren’t, either you're not human or you just don't want to accept it.”
When asked about the rise of AI in OSINT, she acknowledges its efficiency but warns of risks: “We've caught it hallucinating, we've caught it lying, making up fake legal cases and citations.” While AI can automate tedious tasks, Jenna believes the human element remains irreplaceable.
Throughout the conversation, Jenna returns to fundamentals. Reverse image search, for example, remains a core technique she sees neglected. “Reverse image search can save you days, weeks, months of work… and save you from misidentifying potential perpetrators, which is huge.”
She also reflects on terminology: “Not everybody works in intelligence, not everybody produces intelligence... I never refer to what I do as intelligence because it’s not. I’m using open sources to find open source information.” The distinction matters, especially when operating within legal frameworks.
Looking ahead, Jenna shares her desire to apply OSINT to the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people in North America. “I’d really love to assist with that situation… even if it's just capacity building and teaching Indigenous communities to use these skills on their own.”
