Story · arXiv
Epstein Files Engine: Agentic Search for Investigative Journalism (arXiv)
paper · Story page
The New York Times turned reporter questions into BigQuery SQL across the Epstein-related releases, its own archive and outside headlines, answering with citations a reporter could verify. More than 100 journalists used it, and it fed at least 20 published stories.
In plain words
- The New York Times built an artificial intelligence search tool to help reporters investigate the Epstein files.
- Reporters ask ordinary questions, which the tool turns into searches across released files, the newspaper's archives, and other news coverage.
- Answers point back to the original material so reporters can check what the tool says.
- It compares text and images to spot repeated material and bring new information to reporters' attention.
- More than 100 journalists used the tool, which helped with at least 20 published stories.
Appeared in
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Sep 29, 2026 · in the sections
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