Hungary anti-corruption office uses AI to track alleged lost funds

In short: Hungary’s anti-corruption office says it is using an AI system to help trace public money that may have been improperly diverted during Viktor Orbán’s years in power.

What happened

Hungary’s Integrity Authority, the country’s main anti-graft body, says it has developed an AI model to monitor economic transactions in real time. AI and machine learning are types of software that look for patterns in large amounts of data, like a very fast accountant that can scan many records at once.

Ferenc Biró, the head of the Integrity Authority, told the Financial Times that as much as €160bn in public funds may have been siphoned off over 16 years under former prime minister Viktor Orbán. He said the agency has not calculated the total damage, but his estimate suggests the figure could exceed that amount.

Biró said the previous Orbán government did not co-operate with the authority, which limited what it could do. He also described being pressured to “lay low” and said his offices were later raided in an investigation into alleged corrupt practices, which he denies.

Hungary’s new government, led by Péter Magyar, has pledged to strengthen the Integrity Authority as part of reforms linked to unlocking frozen European Union funds. Magyar also said Hungary would join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which can pursue cases involving fraud and corruption tied to EU money, and he promised to set up a separate Asset Recovery Agency to help claw back funds.

Why it matters

If the estimates are even partly correct, the sums involved are large enough to affect everyday life, like money available for hospitals, schools, and public services. The move also shows how governments are starting to use AI for financial oversight, but the outcome will depend on legal powers, access to records, and evidence that holds up in court.

Source: Financial Times