Late last month, roughly 150 journalists, researchers, and technologists gathered on the 15th floor of The New York Times Building for a forum on how AI is changing investigative journalism. The event, held in a space adjacent to a hallway commemorating the paper's history, focused on practical uses of AI in reporting rather than abstract theory.
According to Nieman Lab, the conversation centered on emerging techniques such as "Uber agents" and undercover AI personas. These approaches suggest newsrooms are experimenting with automated systems that can operate in the field or online, gathering information in ways that traditional reporting tools cannot.
The forum's location and attendee mix point to a broader trend: investigative journalism is increasingly a collaboration between reporters and technologists. As AI tools become more sophisticated, they are being repurposed from back-end assistance to active participants in the reporting process. The single source for this article, Nieman Lab, offers no conflicting accounts, but it also provides limited detail on how these techniques work in practice.