US security authorities are monitoring movements critical of technology and internally warning of growing “anti-tech extremism”. This emerges from internal documents from various authorities such as the US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, which the US magazine Wired reports on. Accordingly, there is concern in security circles that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) could have serious social consequences.
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Fear of “unrest”
According to Wired, a paper from a New York counterterrorism unit says: “The chaotic atmosphere that rapidly evolving AI technology could create over the next five years could lead to widespread protests that escalate into riots and violent extremist activity against the technology, particularly in large metropolitan areas such as New York City.”
In addition to radical critics, protest events and public gatherings are apparently also becoming the focus of the authorities. Demonstrations against Tesla were mentioned in the documents. According to the report, various “fusion centers” in the US that coordinate between federal authorities and local security authorities have also reported statements critical of technology at public meetings of local councils or school administrators. An informational video from a non-profit organization that spoke about the negative consequences of data centers was also flagged in an earlier security report.
Monitoring by service providers
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This new form of suspected extremism is not only being observed by security authorities, but also, according to the report, by private companies that, for example, monitor social media on behalf of the state and evaluate it for security purposes. A company reported activities on a Discord server that called for violence against tech CEOs and power plants.
(rie)
