Security and the Monster AI

What the God of AI thinks it looks like when it “eats all the energy in the world.” A very romantic self-image; the act is uglier than this. (Image generated by perchance.org)

By Thomas Neuburger

Today we're going to add some thoughts together and see what sum we get.

The Price of Security

Two pieces from Ken Klippenstein for your safety-loving pleasure.

• Homeland Security’s Pre-Crime Push (Ken Klippenstein)

This is more than a pre-crime story. It’s a Palantir story, an ICE story and an AI story as well. Read the piece to see the many ways these efforts are expanding. Here’s the AI part:

Snitch fund and AI vie to stop attacks like Boulder … [T]he ideology of anti-semitism and hate crimes … expands the battleground to what everyone thinks and says. This week, former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer announced a new partnership with the Anti-Defamation League to come up with AI-methods to “predict and prevent” hate crimes in America, the battlecry that fits with the anti-hate industry’s worldview. “My new initiative would use advanced monitoring tools to scour social media posts following during or after international emergencies,” Stringer said. Yes, ICE is doubling its walking-around money to recruit informants among its long list of enemies; but AI? That’s coming after all of us. [emphasis mine]

File under “The game was over when the Patriot Act was signed.”

• Trump Taps Palantir to Spy on All Americans (Breaking Points)

This video is a must-watch,again with Klippenstein. Note the “pattern of life” discussion at 8:22. Ouch.

Combine this with the linked piece above. The game was over when the Patriot Act was signed — it was never going to be repealed, only expanded.

The NatSec state wants it all: power, data, all rights to all surveillance, all freedom from oversight, all self-regulation. Once Bush v Gore was accepted, the Court held the keys. Once the Patriot Act was signed, the security state had unquestioned police control. We live in cop country. The gates are closing fast. And few want to leave.

File under “The first taste is free. That applies to security too.”

The Monster AI

I'll say this about AI. Consider it my stake in the ground, my bottom line.

AI is not just a disaster for political health, though yes, it will be that. It’s also an absolute disaster for the climate. It will hasten the collapse by decades as usage expands.

Why won’t AI be stopped, given those consequences? Because the race for AI is not really a race for tech. It's a greed-driven race for money, a massive one.

Our lives are already run by those who seek money, especially those who already have too much. They've now found a way feed themselves even faster: by convincing people to do simple searches with AI, a gas-guzzling death machine.

No good will come from AI. Not one ounce.