>>> TONIGHT, THE U.S. LAUNCHING AIR STRIKES IN SYRIA AFTER A DEADLY ATTACK ON AMERICANS. THE U.S. HITTING MULTIPLE TARGETS AFTER A SUSPECTED IRAN-LINKED DRONE ATTACK KILLED AN AMERICAN CONTRACTOR AND WOUNDED FIVE U.S. TROOPS AT A BASE IN NORTHEAST SYRIA. OUR REPORTING, THE KEY RADAR SYSTEM THAT WAS DOWN AT THE TIME. DID THAT LEAVE THE BASE OPEN TO ATTACK? >>> ALSO TONIGHT, THE SCARE AT THE OFFICE OF THE MANHATTAN D.A. INVESTIGATING DONALD TRUMP. THE SUSPICIOUS POWDER AND THREATENING LETTER DISCOVERED. POLICE HAULING HAZMAT BAGS FROM THE BUILDING. IT COMES AS MR. TRUMP WARNS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IF HE'S CHARGED FOR A HUSH MONEY PAYMENT AND A NEW BLOW FOR MR. TRUMP AND THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S JANUARY 6th INVESTIGATION. >>> SEVERE STORMS, MORE THAN 30 MILLION UNDER THE THREAT OF A POTENTIAL TORNADO OUTBREAK, AND HEAVY FLOODING FROM TEXAS TO WEST VIRGINIA. WE'RE TRACKING IT. >>> PRESIDENT BIDEN AND CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU ANNOUNCING A MAJOR IMMIGRATION DEAL. WILL IT STEM THE RECORD SURGE OF MIGRANTS AT AMERICA'S NORTHERN BORDER? >>> GWYNETH PALTROW TAKING THE STAND AT A UTAH TRIAL. THE MAN SUING THE ACTRESS OVER A SKIING ACCIDENT. >>> AND OUR SERIES, "AI REVOLUTION," THE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN LITERALLY READ YOUR MIND. >> Announcer: THIS IS "NBC NIGHTLY NEWS" WITH LESTER HOLT. >>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME. WE BEGIN WITH AMERICAN WARPLANES IN ACTION OVER SYRIA CONDUCTING WHAT OFFICIALS CALL PRECISION AIR STRIKES IN RESPONSE TO A DRONE ATTACK AGAINST AMERICANS THAT KILLED ONE U.S. CONTRACTOR AND WOUNDED FIVE SERVICE MEMBERS. PRESIDENT BIDEN ORDERING THE RETALIATORY STRIKES. U.S. OFFICIALS SAYING THE TARGETS WERE LINKED TO IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS. THE U.S. SAYING THE BASE WHERE THE AMERICANS WERE OPERATING IN EASTERN SYRIA WAS STRUCK BY A ONE-WAY DRONE BELIEVED TO BE OF IRANIAN ORIGIN. TONIGHT, THREE DEFENSE OFFICIALS TELLING NBC NEWS, ONE OF THE RADARS USED TO WARN OF INCOMING THREATS WAS DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK. THE U.S. MEANTIME, CALLING A SEPARATE ROCKET ATTACK AGAINST ANOTHER COALITION BASE THIS MORNING INEFFECTIVE WITH NO AMERICAN CASUALTIES. PETER ALEXANDER IS TRAVELING WITH THE PRESIDENT IN CANADA TONIGHT. >> Reporter: TONIGHT, NEW DETAILS ABOUT THAT DEADLY DRONE ATTACK THAT KILLED AN AMERICAN CONTRACTOR ON A BASE IN SYRIA LAUNCHED BY PRO-IRANIAN FORCES AND NOW A NEW INVESTIGATION LOOKING INTO HOW IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH NBC NEWS LEARNING, ONE OF THE RADARS USED TO DETEXT INCOMING THREATS AND PROTECT THE BASE WAS DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE AT THE TIME OF THE DRONE STRIKE ACCORDING TO THREE U.S. DEFENSE OFFICIALS. IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER THAT FACTORED INTO THE DRONE REACHING A POPULATED PART OF THE BASE. THE PENTAGON SAYING U.S. INTELLIGENCE BELIEVES THE DRONE WAS OF IRANIAN ORIGIN. SIX AMERICANS WERE WOUNDED. FIVE OF THEM SERVICE MEMBERS. >> THE IRANIAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP USED AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE CAUSING CASUALTIES. >> Reporter: PRESIDENT BIDEN ORDERING RETALIATION WITH WHAT THE PENTAGON DESCRIBES AS PRECISION STRIKES BY TWO F-15s ON SITES USED BY GROUPS THE REVOLUTIONARY IRAN'S ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD INCLUDING BUILDINGS HOUSING DRONE AND AVIATION ASSETS AND VEHICLES USED BY THOSE GROUPS. >> THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT, DOES NOT, EMPHASIZE, SEEK CONFLICT WITH IRAN, BUT BE PREPARED FOR US TO ACT FORCEFULLY TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. >> Reporter: ROUGHLY 900 AMERICAN TROOPS AND HUNDREDS OF CONTRACTORS ARE STATIONED IN SYRIA HELPING KURDISH FORCES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS. THOSE AMERICANS UNDER CONSTANT THREAT. 78 ATTACKS ON BASES HOUSING U.S. AND COALITION TROOPS IN IRAQ AND SYRIA OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. MANY OF THEM, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND SAYS, CARRIED OUT BY IRAN OR IRANIAN-BACKED GROUPS. AND JUST HOURS AFTER THE U.S. RETALIATED, ANOTHER ATTACK ON A SEPARATE COALITION BASE, TEN ROCKETS, BUT U.S. OFFICIALS SAY, NO CASUALTIES. >> THIS ROCKET ATTACK WAS DONE IN AN EFFORT TO RETALIATE FROM LAST NIGHT'S ATTACKS. AGAIN, THEY DID NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE AT THE COALITION FACILITY. >> Reporter: AND LATE TONIGHT WE JUST LEARNED THAT SEVERAL MORE ROCKETS WERE FIRED AT ANOTHER COALITION BASE IN SYRIA INJURING ONE AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBER. LESTER. >> PETER, AS WE SAID, YOU'RE TRAVELING WITH THE PRESIDENT. HE JUST ANNOUNCED A NEW IMMIGRATION AGREEMENT WITH CANADA. >> Reporter: YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. THE DEAL WAS DESIGNED TO DETER THE RECORD NUMBER OF MIGRANTS CROSSING INTO THE U.S. FROM CANADA AT THE NORTHERN BORDER. IT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS BOTH CANADA AND THE U.S. TO SEND BACK ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSERS, BUT, LESTER, TO BE CLEAR, THE NUMBER OF MIGRANTS CROSSING THROUGH SON TO THE NUMBER COMPARISON TO THE NUMBER CROSSING THE SOUTHERN BORDER. >> PETER ALEXANDER, THANK YOU. >>> DEVELOPING TONIGHT, A LETTER CONTAINING A DEATH THREAT AND WHITE POWDER SENT TO THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY AS HE CONSIDERS CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. KEN DILANIAN JOINS ME NOW. KEN, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS? >> Reporter: LESTER, THE FBI HAS JOINED INVESTIGATING A LETTER THREATEN TO KILL ALVIN BRAGG. OFFICERS WERE AT HIS OFFICE. HE IS OVERSEEING THAT INVESTIGATION INTO FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP REGARDING THAT HUSH MONEY PAYMENT. POLICE SAY THE LETTER WAS POSTMARKED TUESDAY FROM ORLANDO AND CONTAINED WHITE POWDER THAT AUTHORITIES DETERMINED WAS NOT DANGEROUS. ALL THIS AS MR. TRUMP HAS BEEN RATCHETING UP THE RHETORIC ON SOCIAL MEDIA OVERNIGHT WARNING OF A POTENTIAL DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IF HE IS CHARGED AND SHOWED IMAGES HOLDING A BASEBALL BAT NEAR BRAGG'S HEAD. THOSE POSTS COMING BEFORE THE DEATH THREAT WAS MAIL, BUT THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS TONIGHT. A SENIOR NEW YORK LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL TELLING US, BRAGG HAS RECEIVED A COUPLE OF DOZEN SERIOUS THREATS. >> AND, KEN, MEANTIME, MR. TRUMP SUFFERED SOME SETBACKS IN THE SPECIAL COUNSEL, THAT SEPARATE INVESTIGATION. >> Reporter: YEAH, LESTER, A JUDGE RULED THAT MR. TRUMP COULD NOT USE EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO SHIELD MARK MEADOWS AND SEVEN OTHER FORMER AIDES FROM TESTIFYING TO THE GRAND JURY EXAMINING JANUARY 6th, AND THAT SAME JUDGE ORDERED MR. TRUMP'S OWN LAWYER TO TESTIFY TODAY IN THE CASE ABOUT THOSE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS FOUND AT MAR-A-LAGO. A SIGNIFICANT BLOW TO MR. TRUMP'S LEGAL TEAM. >> ALL RIGHT, KEN, THANK YOU. >>> A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS NIGHT OF VIOLENT STORMS AHEAD FOR MILLIONS IN PARTS OF THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST. A TURBULENT MORNING NORTHWEST OF DALLAS TODAY AS A POSSIBLE TORNADO SWEPT THROUGH WHILE IN MISSOURI MORE FLASH FLOODING TODAY AFTER TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A FLOOD LAST NIGHT. BILL KARINS IS HERE NOW. BILL, HOW SEVERE IS THE THREAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? >> GOOD EVENING, LESTER. WE'LL WATCH THE NEXT FOUR HOURS BEING THE PEAK OF THIS POSSIBLE TORNADO EVENT. WE HAVE A WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THIS MEANS WE COULD HAVE STRONG TORNADOES EVEN OFF SUNSET, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUSc[lU GOING FROM MEMPHIS DOWN TO JACKSON MISSISSIPPI AND MONROE AND EASTERN ARKANSAS, THAT NASTY LINE OF STORMS JUST WENT THROUGH THE LITTLE ROCK AREA. THIS AREA IN RED WHERE WE'RE TARGETING THE GREATEST RISK OF NOT JUST TORNADOES, THE POTENTIAL OF ONE OR TWO STRONG TORNADOES THAT COULD BE ON THE GROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND DO THE MOST DAMAGE AND TYPICALLY THE MOST DEADLY IS WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO AVOID. ON TOP OF ALL THIS, THE FLASH FLOODING IS HORRENDOUS IN LITTLE ROCK AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS. IT WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE OHIO RIVER AND FINALLY THE WORST PIECE OF THIS, WE STILL HAVE A SNOWSTORM, LESTER. FRIENDS IN MILWAUKEE WILL WAKE UP TO EIGHT INCHES TOMORROW MORNING. >> THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT, I'M SURE. >> NO, THEY DON'T. >> BILL, THANKS VERY MUCH. >>> IN PARK CITY, UTAH, LATE TODAY, ACTRESS AND BUSINESS MOGUL, GWYNETH PALTROW, TOOK THE WITNESS STAND DEFENDING HERSELF IN A LAWSUIT BY A MAN WHO CLAIMED SHE CRASHED INTO HIM IN A SKIING ACCIDENT AND SEVERELY INJURED HIM. HERE'S KAYLEE HARTUNG. >> Reporter: GWYNETH PALTROW TAKING THE STAND IN A UTAH COURTROOM FACING ACCUSATIONS OF RECKLESSLY CRASHING INTO ANOTHER SKIER ON THE SLOPES OF THE POSH DEER VALLEY RESORT SEVEN YEARS AGO ALLEGEDLY CAUSING HIM PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE AND OTHER SERIOUS INJURIES. >> MR. SANDERSON CATEGORICALLY HIT ME ON THAT SKI SLOPE, AND THAT IS THE TRUTH. >> AND I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT YOU BELIEVE. >> BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH. >> Reporter: THE ACTRESS TURNED LIFESTYLE GURU AND 76-YEAR-OLD TERRY SANDERSON HAVE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY. >> I WAS SKIING AND TWO SKIS CAME BETWEEN MY SKIS FORCING MY LEGS APART AND THEN THERE WAS A BODY PRESSING AGAINST ME AND THERE WAS A VERY STRANGE GRUNTING NOISE. >> Reporter: SANDERSON HAS NOT YET TESTIFIED. HIS LEGAL TEAM WAITING ON A NEUROLOGIST AND BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER WHO CLAIMS BY THE LAWS OF PHYSICS, PALTROW IS TO BLAME. >> THERE'S ONLY ONE SCENARIO THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR ENOUGH FORCE APPLICATION TO THE RIB, AND THAT WOULD BE MISS PALTROW STRIKING MR. SANDERSON FROM BEHIND AND THEN FALLING ON TOP OF HIM DOWN TOWARDS THE RIGHT SIDE ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS TORSO. >> Reporter: THE DEFENSE SEARCHING FOR WHAT THEY CALL THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EVIDENCE, THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT SANDERSON'S DAUGHTER WRITING IN AN EMAIL, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ALL ON GOPRO, BUT NOW SHE CLAIMS IT NEVER EXISTED. >> I'VE NEVER SEEN GOPRO VIDEO AND IT DOES NOT EXIST AS FAR AS I KNOW. >> Reporter: THROUGH FOUR DAYS OF PROCEEDINGS, PALTROW'S ATTORNEYS CLAIMING HE IS EXAGGERATING HIS INJURIES AND FAKING FOR GAIN. >> WE ARE DEFENDING A FALSE ALLEGATION AND WE NEED YOUR HELP. WE BELIEVE IT TO BE UTTER BS. >> Reporter: BUT SANDERSON'S LEGAL TEAM REFUTING THAT. >> THIS JUST COMPLETELY CHANGED HIS LIFE, PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, BIOLOGICALLY, SOCIALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY >> Reporter: PALTROW MAIN TAKENING SANDERS HAS ALWAYS BEEN RESPONSIBLE AND SAYS, HE KNOWS IT TOO. >> I SAID, YOU SKIED DIRECTLY INTO MY EFFING BACK, AND HE SAID, OH, SORRY, SORRY, I'M SORRY. >> KAYLEE HARTUNG JOINS US NOW. KAYLEE, BEYOND THE HE SAID/SHE SAID PART OF THE TESTIMONY, WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE? >> WELL, LESTER, ULTIMATELY IT'S UP TO THE JURY TO DECIDE WHO HAS THE MORE CREDIBLE STORY HERE AND AS FOR WHAT'S AT STAKE, SANDERSON INITIALLY SUED HER FOR MORE THAN $3 MILLION BUT THE COMPLAINT WAS AMENDED AND NOW ASKING FOR AT LEAST 300,000 WHILE PALTROW HAS COUNTERSUED FOR $1 IN DAMAGES. LESTER. >> ALL RIGHT. KAYLEE HARTUNG, THANK YOU. >>> STAYING IN UTAH NOW FOR OUR NEXT STORY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYING SUCH A BIG ROLE IN THE LIVES OF OUR KIDS, THE STATE WANTS LIMITS, GROUNDBREAKING NEW LEGISLATION WILL TRY TO CURB THEIR TIME ON CERTAIN PLATFORMS AND REQUIRE KIDS TO GIVE THEIR PARENTS ACCESS. OTHER STATES MAY SOON FOLLOW. HERE'S MIGUEL ALMAGUER. >> Reporter: WHEN IT GOES INTO EFFECT NEXT YEAR, CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS IN UTAH COULD LOSE ACCESS TO THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS OR FACE A BARRAGE OF RESTRICTIONS AIMED AT SHIELDING THEM FROM PLATFORMS SOME CALL ADDICTIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE LAW JUST SIGNED BY UTAH'S GOVERNOR IS EXPECTED TO FACE LEGAL CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE WIDE-RANGING IMPACT ON COMPANIES LIKE TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM, SNAPCHAT AND FACEBOOK. IN ADDITION TO REQUIRING AGE VERIFICATION AND GIVING PARENTS ACCESS TO THEIR CHILDREN'S ACCOUNTS, THE LAW PROHIBITS KIDS UNDER 18 FROM USING SOCIAL MEDIA BETWEEN 10:30 P.M. AND 6:30 A.M. NICOLINE PACK IS A MOTHER OF FOUR. >> I THINK IT'S A MOVE IN A REALLY GOOD DIRECTION THAT EMPOWERS PARENTS TO HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON ONLINE AND HELPS THEM BE INVOLVED. >> YOU MAY NOT CARE THAT YOUR DATA IS BEING ACCESSED NOW, BUT IT WILL BE ONE DAY WHEN YOU DO CARE ABOUT IT. >> Reporter: AS LAWMAKERS RAISE SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES CONCERNING TECH GIANTS, SEVERAL STATES ARE FOLLOWING UTAH'S LEAD TO LIMIT HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON TEEN MENTAL HEALTH. >> IT COULD BE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE THE LAW. SOME OF IT I DON'T THINK WILL BE. WE HAVE SOME REALLY STRICT PARENTAL CONTROL TOOLS. >> Reporter: WITH SOME CALLING THE LEGISLATION UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND AN INFRINGEMENT ON FREE SPEECH, META, WHICH OWNS FACEBOOK, SAYS IT'S COMMITTED TO KEEPING TEENS SAFE AND WILL WORK WITH POLICYMAKERS. TONIGHT, GROUNDBREAKING LEGISLATION AND THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT, WILL IT WORK? MIGUEL ALMAGUER, NBC NEWS. >>> IN 60 SECONDS, WITH A SURGE IN SUMMER TRAVEL EXPECTED, THERE COULD BE ONE BIG PROBLEM FOR MANY TRA >>> IF YOU'RE HOPING TO TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY THIS YEAR, AND YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE A PASSPORT, BE WARNED. GETTING ONE COULD TAKE MONTHS. HERE'S TOM COSTELLO. >>> COUNTDOWN TO VACATION 2023 AND A POST-PANDEMIC SURGE OF AMERICANS GOING INTERNATIONAL, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VALID PASSPORT, BEWARE, THE STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTS AN UNPRECEDENTED 500,000 PASSPORT RENEWAL APPLICATIONS EACH WEEK. 30% TO 40% MORE THAN LAST YEAR, AND THAT MEANS BIG DELAYS. >> WE'RE LOOKING FOR A REGULAR PASSPORT, ABOUT 10 TO 13 WEEKS AND FOR AN EXPEDITED PASSPORT, ABOUT 7 TO 9 WEEKS. >> Reporter: FLAG THAT. REGULAR PASSPORT RENEWALS CAN TAKE THREE PLUS MONTHS. IF YOU EXPEDITE, IT CAN TAKE MORE THAN TWO MONTHS. WHY THE BACKLOG? PASSPORT DEMAND TANKED DURING THE PANDEMIC, SO THE STATE DEPARTMENT REASSIGNED OR LAID OFF PASSPORT STAFF. NOW THEY'RE STAFFING UP AND ADDING EXTRA OFFICES TO MEET DEMAND. >> WE ARE RECEIVING FRANTIC CALLS AND OUTREACH FROM A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. >> Reporter: C.J. LEONARD BOUGHT HER TICKET TO VISIT FRIENDS IN IRELAND AND USED THE ONLINE PORTAL TO RENEW HER PASSPORT TWO MONTHS BEFORE DEPARTURE THEN WAITED AND WAITED, THEN SPENT HOURS ON THE PHONE AND GOT HER CONGRESSWOMAN INVOLVED. HER EXPEDITED PASSPORT ARRIVED JUST IN TIME. >> UNTIL I GOT ON THE PLANE, I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING BECAUSE OF ALL THIS, SO IT WAS EXCITING TO GET THE PASSPORT. >> Reporter: THE ADVICE FROM THE TRAVEL PROS -- >> I WOULDN'T BOOK YOUR VACATION UNTIL YOU'VE ACTUALLY GOT THE PASSPORT. >> Reporter: THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN TESTING OUT A NEW ONLINE PORTAL FOR RENEWALS BUT THAT SYSTEM HAS SOME GLITCHES AND IS OFFLINE. THEY'RE HOPING IT WILL BE UP LATER THIS YEAR, ALL THE MORE REASON TO GET YOUR PAPERWORK IN EARLY. LESTER. >> ALL RIGHT, TOM, THANK YOU FOR THAT. >>> UP NEXT, THE CLOSE APPROACH OF AN ASTEROID DESCRIBED AS THE SIZE OF A SKYSCRAPER. >>> PLUS, USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO READ >>> A RARE VISITOR IN THE SKIES THIS WEEKEND. SCIENTISTS SAY AN ASTEROID ROUGHLY THE SIZE OF A SKYSCRAPER WILL BE VISIBLE AS IT PASSES OUR PLANET HALFWAY BETWEEN EARTH AND THE MOON. ITS SIZE AND CLOSENESS MAKING A GLIMPSE WITH A TELESCOPE POSSIBLE. NO NEED TO WORRY, SCIENTISTS TELL US, IT WILL STILL BE MORE THAN 100,000 MILES AWAY. >>> AND A SURPRISE SHOW IN THE SKY. THE NORTHERN LIGHTS THAT USUALLY OCCUR IN THE ARCTIC APPEARING OVERNIGHT IN THE LOWER 48, DAZZLING AS FAR SOUTH AS VIRGINIA AND ARIZONA. THEY WERE BROUGHT BY THE STRONGEST SOLAR STORM IN MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. >>> AND NOW TO OUR SERIES, "AI REVOLUTION," AND THE ASTOUNDING SPEED IN WHICH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS GROWING. JAKE WARD ON THE RESEARCH SHOWING HOW AI COULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO READ YOUR MIND. >> Reporter: ON THE CAMPUS OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE, PROFESSOR HELEN ZHOU AND A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS SAY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS LETTING THEM SEE A VERSION OF OUR THOUGHTS. THIS SUBJECT DEMONSTRATED THE PROCESS. >> OUR COLLEAGUE RIGHT NOW IS INSIDE THE SCANNER. >> Reporter: USING A DATABASE OF MRI SCANS, IT FIRST GOT TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE'S BRAINS LOOKED LIKE AS THEY VIEWED MORE THAN 1,000 PHOTOS THEN IT WAS SHOWN ONLY BRAIN SCANS AS THE SUBJECTS LOOKED AT NEW PHOTOS, USING A SPECIAL LANGUAGE OF BRAIN ACTIVITY THE TEAM DEVELOPED AN IMAGE GENERATOR CALLED STABLE DIFFUSION TRIED TO RE-CREATE WHAT IT SHOWED. >> AS LONG AS I HAVE SEEN IT AND YOU KNOW THE PATTERNS OF MY BRAIN, THEN THE AI WILL READ THAT OUT OF MY BRAIN? >> YES, YES, THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. >> Reporter: SCIENTISTS PURSUED THIS FOR YEARS BUT AI MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. HERE'S A GIRAFFE SHOWN TO A SUBJECT. READY? HERE'S THE IMAGE THE AI CREATED, AND IT IS SOMETIMES VERY DIFFERENT BETWEEN PEOPLE. HERE'S THE ORIGINAL IMAGE OF A GRASSY FIELD, NOW HERE'S THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS GENERATED FROM THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S BRAIN ACTIVITY. NOW, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS A RECORDING OF PREVIOUS SCANS, NOT A REALTIME DEMONSTRATION, AND THIS PROCESS IS SLOW. IT REQUIRES AN EXPENSIVE MACHINE, AND IT HAS TO BE INDIVIDUALLY TAILORED. SO UNLESS YOU HAVE TAKEN A LONG TIME TO TRAIN THE MODEL ON AN INDIVIDUAL, IT DOESN'T WORK? >> YES, AT THIS STAGE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GENERALIZE ACROSS SUBJECTS IN THE FUTURE. >> Reporter: AND THAT FUTURE IS UPON US. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ANOTHER TEAM IS LEARNING TO PULL WORD SEQUENCES USING A SIMILAR TECHNIQUE AND A MULTIUNIVERSITY TEAM LAST YEAR FOUND THAT IN FMRI TESTS, THESE PREDICTED WHETHER A SUBJECT LEANED LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE, ALL PART OF A GRAND SCIENTIFIC IMAGE TO DECODE AND MAYBE EVEN TRANSMIT THOUGHT TO RESTORE LOST SIGHT AND HEARING, TO OBSERVE CONSCIOUSNESS ITSELF, BUT RESEARCH IS ONE THING. >> I WORRY THAT IT QUICKLY LEAVES THAT REALM OF WELL-MEANING SCIENTISTS TO COMMODIFICATION OF DEEPLY PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE. >> Reporter: THE LAST 30 YEARS HAVE SEEN AN EXPLOSION OF NEW BRAIN TECH COMPANIES AND PATENT APPLICATIONS. NOW, AS AI MAKES THE TECH SMALLER AND MORE POWERFUL, DUKE LAW PROFESSOR NITA FARAHANY IS WORRIED IT WILL JUDGE THEM. >> NOT JUST YOUR BRAIN ACTIVITY IS BEING COLLECTED AND BRAIN STATES FROM ATTENTION TO FOCUS IS BEING MONITORED, BUT PEOPLE ARE BEING HIRED AND FIRED AND PROMOTED BASED ON WHAT THEIR BRAIN METRICS SHOW. >> Reporter: EVEN FOR THE TEAM LEADER IN SINGAPORE, THE PROSPECT OF A CORPORATE USE OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT PRIVACY LAWS IN PLACE IS TOO RISKY. ARE YOU THE KIND OF PERSON THAT WOULD WANT TO WAIT FOR BETTER GOVERNANCE BEFORE YOU LET SOMEBODY DECODE YOUR BRAIN? >> I MIGHT BE THE PERSON WHO WANT TO TRY. I THINK ONCE THEY COMMERCIALIZE THE PRODUCT, I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT. >> Reporter: MIND READING WITH ALL ITS UNTHINKABLE PROMISE AND PERIL MADE REAL. JAKE WARD, NBC NEWS. >> THINGS ARE MOVING QUICKLY. WE'LL KEEP UP WITH IT. >>> COMING UP, HONORING A PIONEERING AVIATOR THANKS TO ONE THIRD GRADER AND HER DETERMINATION.>>> FINALLY, T INSPIRING AMERICA. AN AVIATOR WHO BROKE BARRIERS AND THE THIRD GRADER WHO WANTED HER CLASSMATES TO KNOW ALL ABOUT HER HERO. HERE'S YAMICHE ALCINDOR. >> Reporter: 9-YEAR-OLD ALEX WILLIAMS GOT AN ASSIGNMENT FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH. DESCRIBE A HERO. SHE CHOSE BESSIE COLEMAN, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO EARN A PILOT'S LICENSE IN THE UNITED STATES. >> SHE FLEW IN THE SKY, AND SHE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT SHE WANTED EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY WAS, LIKE, NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT, YOU'RE A GIRL AND YOU'RE BLACK, YOU CAN'T DO THAT. >> Reporter: BUT HER THIRD GRADE TEACHER TOLD HER COLEMAN, NICKNAMED BRAVE BESSIE, WAS NOT A HERO. >> I WAS MAD BECAUSE I TOOK ALL THAT WORK, AND MY MOM, SHE ALREADY GOT THE BOARD. >> Reporter: ALEX'S MOTHER, WHO WORKS AT THE FAA, PUSHED BACK. >> THAT'S WHEN I SWITCHED INTO MOMMY BEAR MODE AND SAID, PAYMENT. I GRABBED MY PHONE AND EMAILED HER, AND SHE IN TURN DID SAY TO ME, NO, SHE CAN'T DO HER. SHE'S NOT A HERO, AND I WAS LIKE, I BEG TO DIFFER. >> Reporter: BUT SHE SAID THE TEACHER SUGGESTED MORE WELL-KNOWN FIGURES LIKE HARRIET TUBMAN OR MAYA ANGELOU, AND WHEN IT CAME TIME TO PRESENT, ALEX WAS NOT CALLED ON. >> SHE CRIED. SHE WAS VERY UPSET. >> Reporter: HER MOM DECIDED TO TAKE HER TO FAA HEADQUARTERS WHERE SHE DETAILED COLEMAN'S LIFE TO AGENCY OFFICIALS INCLUDING THE DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR. >> I THINK SHE WAS KNOWN AS CLEAN BESS, BRAVE BESS, BESSIE COLEMAN WOULD WALK ON THE WINGS OF AIRPLANES AND PARACHUTE OUT. >> Reporter: ALEX WAS PRESENTED WITH A COPY OF A NEWLY MINTED COIN COMMEMORATING BESSIE COLEMAN, ALONG WITH A COLEMAN BARBIE DOLL. >> WHAT'S YOUR LESSON? >> NOT TO TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER. THERE'S A BIG GIGANTIC ANSWER AT THE END OF THE WORD. >> Reporter: YAMICHE ALCINDOR, WA