The chapter explores the projected growth of the border industry complex to $68 billion by 2025, fueled by global migration numbers. It discusses the militarization of borders, adoption of military technologies, and the diffusion of border surveillance tech into broader society, citing examples like New York City streets and sports stadiums. The conversation raises concerns about the repurposing of surveillance tech for various uses beyond border control, genetic surveillance through tools like CODIS, and the testing of AI lie detectors on migrants with potential implications for global border enforcement.
Climate change, political instability, hunger. These are just some of the forces behind an unprecedented refugee crisis that’s expected to include over a billion people by 2050. In response to this growing crisis, wealthy governments like the US and the EU are employing novel AI and surveillance technologies to slow the influx of migrants at their borders. But will this rollout stop at the border?
In this episode, Tristan and Aza sit down with Petra Molnar to discuss how borders have become a proving ground for the sharpest edges of technology, and especially AI. Petra is an immigration lawyer and co-creator of the Migration and Technology Monitor. Her new book is “The Walls Have Eyes: Surviving Migration in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”