News commentary

Cops are using AI to spy on you

User Mag · Taylor Lorenz · last updated

American police departments are using secretive AI technology to create lifelike AI personas designed to interact with real people online —like protesters and activists— for intelligence gathering.

This tech is becoming more popular amid crackdowns on student protests against the killing in Gaza. Leaked presentations reveal AI personas posing as various people, from divorced moms to teenage boys, in attempts to infiltrate online communities.

404 Media’s Jason Koebler joined me on this week’s Power User podcast to break down how these police-created AI personas work, how they’re being deployed, how to identify them, and what role AI plays in the future of surveillance. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more!

 

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