Chicago woman Zoe Threlkeld says ChatGPT helped her identify, locate alleged attacker, Isaiah Del Toro - ABC7 Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) -- One Chicago woman is now crediting artificial intelligence with helping her identify the man who she says assaulted her over the summer.

"I saw his picture," Zoe Threlkeld said. "I used reverse Google Images to try to look for the background of it."

Threlkeld said she met Isaiah Del Toro at a River North bar in June and invited him to her apartment, but later asked him to leave.

That is when she claims Del Toro attacked her, stealing her phone and hitting her with a pot, leaving her with staples.

"When he was still hitting me and everything, I was still trying to grab stuff, still trying to fight or do something," Threlkeld said.

With just his nickname and a profile she recognized on Facebook, Threlkeld turned to ChatGPT.

"It was like one of those pictures he had on his Facebook profile. I basically uploaded it, like, 'where is this brownstone,' because it had a number," Threlkeld said. "When I went to the police, I had everything. I had his number, his name, first name, last name, address, everything."

Del Toro has since been arrested.

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According to court documents, he is charged with aggravated battery, robbery and theft.

"Being able to use modern technology to really help the police find somebody and track them down is, I think, fascinating," said Alex Hamerstone, a cybersecurity expert with TrustedSec.

Threlkeld's success story with AI comes amid calls to slow its development.

Just last week, whistleblower Jacob Coxon warned the technology could kill humans by the end of the decade.

"The potential is really limitless," Hamerstone said. "We're still in the early stages, but it's limitless, really, in positives and possibly negatives."

Del Toro is due back in court on Oct. 6.

Threlkeld said she is thankful he remains in custody.

"It's 2026. Technology is advancing. You can find out a lot of things about people. So, I was like, 'Why not try it?'" Threlkeld said.