--- title: "NYPD Ridiculed for Saying AI Will Find CEO Killer as They Fail to Name Suspect" description: "According to a reporter, the NYPD is using AI to nail the identify of the gunman who killed Brian Thompson. Netizens ridiculed the AI." date: "2024-12-06" modified: "2024-12-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/nypd-ai-find-ceo-killer" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Future Society" tags: - "facial recognition" - "health insurance" - "New York" - "nypd" --- # NYPD Ridiculed for Saying AI Will Find CEO Killer as They Fail to Name Suspect ![According to a reporter, the NYPD is using AI to nail the identify of the gunman who killed Brian Thompson. Netizens ridiculed the AI.]() *\Image: NYPD\* The [manhunt]() for the mysterious gunman who killed UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson outside of a midtown Manhattan hotel early Wednesday morning rages on — but even days later, the New York Police Department has yet to name a suspect. The NYPD *has* made a big deal about its investigation so far, which has involved collecting evidence he left at the crime scene and locating surveillance camera footage purportedly showing the killer at an uptown hostel. If it sounds like energy is flagging, fear not: according to [*FOX Business* reporter Charles Gasparino](), law enforcement is trying to get the most out of footage with the help of — you guessed it — artificial intelligence, which will allegedly play a "big role in nailing the ID." "His mask, the point out, didn't totally cover his face," an NYPD police source reportedly told Gasparino. "Bone structure was showing through the rest of it, and AI will come up with a pretty clear match they believe." And *CNN* has also reported that the NYPD is [using facial recognition software](). (*Futurism* has reached out to the NYPD for clarification and additional details.) But whether such an AI will actually help crack the case remains anything but clear. In fact, netizens were quick to point out the technology's many shortcomings, suggesting the police department was lost in the weeds and throwing out buzzwords because its investigation is dead in the water. "Oh so he's GONE gone," one account [tweeted]() in response to Gasparino. "BREAKING: the police are looking for a man with nine fingers on one hand, two legs that merge into one, and a face that constantly shifts every two frames," one Bluesky user [joked](), referring to the many [bizarre outputs of generative AI models](). One thing's for sure: the case will be a high-profile test of whether AI can actually help in policing, after [numerous]() [high-profile]() [fumbles](). According [*to the Associated Press*](), the killer pulled down his mask while flirting with an employee at the hostel, giving a less obscured view of his face. The perpetrator used a fake New Jersey ID to check in. Thompson was the CEO of the largest health insurance companies in the world in terms of revenue. His death has [sparked a massive debate online]() as many of those who have been negatively affected by the notoriously greedy and deficient health insurance system have celebrated his passing. Further winding AI into the saga, UnitedHealth [has been accused of using an AI algorithm]() to deny and override claims to elderly patients that had been approved by their doctors. A Senate report earlier this year found that UnitedHealthcare and other insurers' denial rates for prior authorizations had surged in recent years, according to the *AP*. There's a good chance the killer's attack was motivated by animus toward an industry whose brutal business model has led to the deaths of countless Americans. Case in point, the words "deny," "defend" and "depose" were [written on shell casings]() recovered at the crime scene. **More on the incident:** *[Reddit Mods Delete Doctors Slamming Insurance Industry After CEO's Murder]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()