In a move reminiscent of the sci-fi thriller Minority Report, Argentina’s security forces have unveiled an unprecedented plan to utilize artificial intelligence for predicting future crimes.
Much like the futuristic technology depicted in the film, which starred Tom Cruise as a police officer in a world where crimes are stopped before they happen, Argentina’s government is turning to artificial intelligence to anticipate criminal activities.
However, this has sparked concerns about potential threats to citizens’ rights.
The country’s far-right president, Javier Milei, recently established the Artificial Intelligence Applied to Security Unit, which, according to the legislation, will employ machine-learning algorithms to analyze historical crime data and anticipate future criminal activities.
Additionally, the unit plans to use facial recognition software to identify “wanted persons,” monitor social media, and analyze real-time security camera footage for suspicious activities.
The Ministry of Security claims that the new unit will enhance its ability to “detect potential threats, track criminal group movements, and anticipate disturbances.”
However, this Minority Report-like resolution has alarmed human rights organizations, who worry that certain societal groups may face excessive scrutiny by this technology.
Concerns have also been raised regarding who will have access to the data and the extent of that access.
Amnesty International has expressed apprehension about the potential infringement on human rights, warning that “large-scale surveillance affects freedom of expression by encouraging self-censorship or deterring individuals from sharing ideas or criticisms due to fears of constant monitoring by security forces,” according to Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.
Similarly, the Argentine Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information cautioned that such technologies have historically been used to “profile academics, journalists, politicians, and activists,” posing a significant threat to privacy without proper oversight.
President Milei, a far-right libertarian, assumed office late last year, promising a hardline stance on crime. His security minister, Patricia Bullrich, reportedly aims to replicate El Salvador’s controversial prison model, and the administration appears to be moving towards militarizing security policy, as noted by the Center for Legal and Social Studies.
The government has also taken a tough approach to protests, deploying riot police to disperse demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets at close range, and threatening to penalize parents who bring children to marches.
The introduction of this AI unit has drawn particular criticism in a country with a history of state repression, where an estimated 30,000 people were forcibly disappeared during the brutal 1976-83 dictatorship, with some being thrown alive from planes during “death flights.” Thousands were tortured, and hundreds of children were kidnapped during that period.
A Ministry of Security source stated that the new unit would operate under the existing legislative framework, including the Personal Information Protection Act.
The unit will focus on applying AI, data analytics, and machine learning to detect criminal patterns and trends within the ministry’s security databases.
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