Nature Podcast Is AI watching you? The hidden links between research and surveillance
14 snips
Jun 25, 2025 Nick Petrich-Howe reveals how AI research, especially in computer vision, is aiding mass surveillance, with disturbing findings that a vast majority of patents involve human data. Davide Castelvecchi discusses the first striking images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which promises to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. The podcast highlights the ethical implications of AI in surveillance and the exciting advancements in astronomy and nanotechnology, making for a thought-provoking listen.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Research Fuels Surveillance
- 90% of computer vision research papers and 86% of patents involve human data potentially usable for surveillance.
- The focus on human-related data in this field has increased substantially since the 1990s.
Obscured Human Focus in AI Papers
- Many computer vision papers obscure their use of human data by calling people "objects" or "scenes".
- This obscurity hides ethical questions about the true purpose of AI surveillance technologies.
Governments Drive Surveillance AI
- Surveillance tech development is heavily influenced by corporate and government interests.
- Such influence raises concerns about impacts on democratic freedoms and civil rights.