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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Bruce Schneier and Jon Penney

UNBELIEVABLE: Ai surveillance is being supercharged and it will chill social progress - Caught on Camera

cctv cameras mounted to a wall
‘The result will be a kind of supercharged societal level of chilling effects where fear, self-censorship, and groupthink reign.’ Photograph: Image Source Limited/Alamy

In the near future, AI-powered surveillance systems will be able to track everything we do in public, and much of what we do in private. And if we do something wrong – shoplift, litter, jaywalk, you name it – the system will notice, retain it, tie it to your official government record, communicate that fact to you, and provide real-time alerts to any relevant authorities … and maybe also to the general public.

Think of these systems as automated speed cameras, but on steroids. Only they’ll enforce not just speed limits, but any other rule you can imagine. And you won’t receive a ticket weeks later by mail; you’ll be informed about and fined for your violation immediately.

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