Face recognition technology, something that seemed like science fiction just a few years ago, is becoming an increasingly key component of America's mass surveillance network. Even as plans for high-tech mass-scale facial recognition systems in places like China raise privacy concerns, the U.S. government was reportedly looking to develop face recognition tech capable … Continue reading Army develops face recognition that sees in the dark
For some time, the U.S. military has been offering conflicting statements on its presence in Syria. In October, for example, a general said the U.S. had 4,000 troops in the war-torn Middle Eastern country, or about eight times the official number of roughly 500, before correcting himself and giving that official figure. The Washington Post … Continue reading U.S. officials deny Syrian ‘presence patrols’
YouTube, the widely-used video uploading site owned by Google, which is in turn owned by Alphabet, whose former chairman and current board member Eric Schmidt is a key adviser to the Pentagon, has announced that -- in a Cass Sunsteinesque effort to combat the perceived threat posed by "conspiracy theories" -- it will begin showing … Continue reading YouTube to add ‘conspiracy theory’ disclaimers from Wikipedia
In 2016, after giving the matter "thoughtful consideration," tech executive Eric Schmidt told the public they should "stop freaking out" about potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence. Schmidt recently announced his resignation from the chairmanship of Google's parent company Alphabet, though he's apparently continuing in roles not only as an Alphabet board member, but heading the … Continue reading Google involvement in drone A.I. project revealed
In the two weeks since reports first emerged of 17 students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, much controversy has erupted over issues that are often brought up in the wake of such incidents -- namely gun control and the 2nd Amendment. Yet other issues unrelated to firearm laws have also … Continue reading Parkland conspiracy theories raise legitimate questions
Last week, tech company NVidia announced a new partnership with AI developer AnyVision to develop automatic face recognition technology for closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras in so-called "smart cities." "AnyVision claims the technology enables cameras that can continuously scan for faces 24/7, automatically identifying and tracking individuals within a large crowd with 99% accuracy," writes … Continue reading The dystopian auto-face recognition plan for ‘smart cities’
Given the officially secretive nature of America's sprawling military presence around the world and its domestic support bureaucracy, the U.S. public is often left in the dark as to what kind of new weapons of war its tax dollars are paying to develop. In the case of things like "high powered microwave" weapons, this "makes … Continue reading New report directs attention at directed energy weapons
Nearly 17 years into America's involvement in Afghanistan, key observers see little hope for a clear U.S. military victory in the central Asian nation, with news emerging from the country painting an increasingly dire picture, even as America once again builds up its presence there. In a recent interview with Defense News, Chuck Hagel, the … Continue reading Critics see dismal Afghanistan prospects as DoD defends troop buildup
Late last year, the Defense Department announced it would begin its first ever audit in an attempt to bring itself into compliance with federal requirements it has brazenly bucked for decades, despite receiving hundreds of billions of dollars annually. "It is important that the Congress and the American people have confidence in DOD's management of … Continue reading Pentagon audits expose lost tanks, hundreds of millions of dollars
If you're a regular internet user, you may have noticed that said internet is swarming with bots. Yet the extent of the presence of fake accounts on platforms like Twitter may be greater --and more organized-- than many previously thought. In a recent article titled "The Follower Factory," the New York Times goes on for … Continue reading Demand for fake followers drives bot black market
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