Investigator Meetup: The Gideon Blueprint: Innovating On-Prem AI for Public Defense

The Gideon Blueprint: Innovating On-Prem AI for Public Defense
This session explores the full arc of building a secure, on-premises AI system tailored for public defense work. From research and cost comparisons to the decision to avoid cloud-based risks, we’ll walk through the practical and ethical motivations behind developing “Gideon,” our internal AI system. You’ll learn how we selected and tuned large language models, navigated technical and organizational pitfalls, and integrated the system into real-world defense workflows. We’ll cover current capabilities, limitations, and where we are headed next. This is a transparent, behind-the-scenes look at what it took to build and lead AI innovation in the public defender space

Robert Thies
Senior Investigator, Federal Public Defender – Eastern District of Missouri

Based in St. Louis, Robert Thies is a Senior Investigator with nearly 30 years of experience in criminal defense. He leads AI innovation for the Federal Public Defender’s Office and is the project lead for GIDEON, a secure, locally hosted platform supporting case analysis, discovery review, and legal strategy.  Robert is a national resource on AI use in defense settings and has authored internal policies, conducted hands-on training, and advised offices across the country. He holds an AI Prompting Certification from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and is the author of The Algorithm, a novel about AI and the justice system, due out in 2026.

He enjoys playing pickleball, snowboarding, and keeping bees.