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#BorderPatrol Wants Advanced #AI to #Spy on American Cities

A U.S. Border Patrol “Industry Day” deck also asks for #drones, seismic sensors, and tech that can see through walls.

by Sam Biddle
July 23 2025

Excerpt: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection, flush with billions in new funding, is seeking 'advanced AI' technologies to surveil urban residential areas, increasingly sophisticated #autonomous systems, and even the ability to see through walls.

"A CBP presentation for an 'Industry Day' summit with private sector vendors, obtained by The Intercept, lays out a detailed wish list of tech CBP hopes to purchase, like satellite connectivity for #SurveillanceTowers along the #border and improved radio communications. But it also shows that state-of-the-art, AI-augmented surveillance technologies will be central to the Trump administration’s #AntiImmigrant campaign, which will extend deep into the interior of the North American continent, hundreds of miles from international borders as commonly understood.

"The recent passage of Trump’s sprawling flagship legislation funnels tens of billions of dollars to the #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity. While much of that funding will go to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to bolster the administration’s arrest and deportation operations, a great deal is earmarked to purchase new technology and equipment for federal offices tasked with preventing immigrants from arriving in the first place: Customs and Border Protection, which administers the country’s border surveillance apparatus, and its subsidiary, the U.S. Border Patrol.

"One page of the presentation, describing the wishlist of Border Patrol’s Law Enforcement Operations Division, says the agency needs '#AdvancedAI to identify and track suspicious activity in urban environment [sic],' citing the 'challenges' posed by 'Dense residential areas.' What’s considered '#SuspiciousActivity' is left unmentioned.
Customs and Border Protection did not respond to questions posed about the slides by The Intercept."

Read more:
theintercept.com/2025/07/23/cb

Archived version:
archive.ph/ohLtM

The Intercept · Border Patrol Wants Advanced AI to Spy on American CitiesBy Sam Biddle

The #UK government is consulting on new laws for self-driving passenger services, set to launch from spring 2026. The Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme, open for feedback until 28 September 2025, will shape how taxi-, private-hire- and bus-like autonomous vehicles are regulated. The scheme focuses on safety, accessibility, and innovation, supporting the UK’s Plan for Change by creating 38,000 jobs and a £42bn industry. Trials without safety drivers will begin next year. The consultation invites views from the public, industry, and stakeholders on key issues such as accessibility, local council approvals, and permit rules. The Automated Vehicles Act, coming into full effect in 2027, will enforce strict safety standards, ensuring #autonomous services are as safe as skilled human drivers.
gov.uk/government/news/next-st

GOV.UK · Next steps for self-driving vehicles as future passengers help shape self-driving vehicles lawBy Department for Transport

Tesla's Robotaxis Are Going Poorly

A first public test of robotaxis by Tesla in Austin, Texas led to multiple traffic problems and driving issues, videos from company-selected riders showed over the first few days.

The NHTSA already confirmed this week that it's looking at the robotaxi rollout.

#NHTSA #tesla #selfdriving #robotaxi #autonomousvehicles #autonomous #austin #texas #austintx #safety

jalopnik.com/1896348/tesla-rob

Jalopnik · Tesla's Robotaxis Are Going PoorlyBy Amber DaSilva

Here’s a running list of all of Tesla’s robotaxi mishaps so far

a list of all the mistakes the company’s “unsupervised” vehicles have made in the first couple days.

these are the incidents that cropped up among a small fleet of 10-20 vehicles in just three days of semi-public availability.

#NHTSA #tesla #robotaxi #safety #autonomousvehicles #autonomous #selfdriving #automotive #auto #cars #austintx #austin #texas

theverge.com/news/692639/tesla