FBI credits AI after tip leads to guilty plea in North Carolina threat case

The Federal Bureau of Investigation told reporters it has ramped up the use of artificial intelligence to help triage tips and surface urgent leads in investigations, and the agency credited that work with helping investigators identify a North Carolina suspect.

"The FBI has been touting its success with a 10% drop in violent crime, a nearly 20% drop in homicides," NBC reporter Tom Winter said, and he described how the bureau used AI triage in a case involving Zachary Charles Newell, who pleaded guilty to making threats and is serving a two-year sentence. Winter said the FBI credited AI with helping investigators get onto the case.

Winter and the segment's host noted the bureau's usage growth: according to the broadcast, the FBI used AI only once until about 18 months ago and has used it roughly 140 times in the last 18 months, with more deployments planned. Officials and reporters framed the tool as one element among task forces and other investigative work.

The segment included discussion of public-safety stakes: guests stressed that shortening the time it takes to identify credible tips ' from days or weeks to hours or minutes ' can affect whether a planned attack is prevented. The bureau's representatives and reporters said they will continue to track the agency's use of AI going forward.