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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rights group says US authorities using AI to surveil pro-Palestinian protesters
Amnesty International accused US authorities on Wednesday of using Palantir and Babel Street AI tools to surveil immigrants and target non-citizens at pro-Palestinian protests. The rights group said a review of public records shows the software enables mass surveillance to assess and single out foreign nationals. Amnesty International on Wednesday accused US authorities of using artificial intelligence tools from Palantir and Babel Street to monitor immigrants and target non-citizens at demonstrations supporting Palestinians. A review of documents, including Department of Homeland Security public records, showed that software provided by the AI firms enables mass surveillance and assessment of people, often to target those not from the United States, according to Amnesty International. "The US government is deploying invasive AI-powered technologies within a context of a mass deportation agenda and crackdown on pro-Palestine expression, leading to a host of human rights violations," said Erika Guevara-Rosas of the rights group. "This has led to a pattern of unlawful detentions and mass deportations, creating a climate of fear and exacerbating the 'chilling effect' for migrant communities and for international students across schools and campuses." Amnesty research determined the United States is using the AI tools to track migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as part of a "Catch and Revoke" initiative. The State Department initiative involves social media monitoring, visa status tracking, and automated threat assessments of visa holders such as foreign students, according to Amnesty. Read moreMahmoud Khalil sues Trump administration for $20 million over detention "Systems like Babel X and Immigration OS (from Palantir) play a key role in the US administration's ability to carry out its repressive tactics," said Guevara-Rosas. "Unless Palantir and Babel Street can demonstrate they can use their leverage as suppliers to improve the serious human rights consequences borne by the policies of their clients, these companies should immediately cease their work with the US administration related to immigration enforcement." Use of the AI surveillance tools risks fueling US President Donald Trump's capacity to "deport marginalized people on a whim," Amnesty argued. Since being sworn in for a second term in January, Trump has targeted top US universities over claims they are politically biased towards "woke" politics and has charged -- without evidence -- that they have engaged in antisemitic policies. The administration has characterised widespread campus protests and sit-ins in the United States calling for an end to Israel's war in Gaza as being "antisemitic," and moved to expel foreign students and professors who took part in them. Trump has made the question of student protest, particularly by foreign scholars, a flashpoint political issue. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Gizmodo
27 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Tony Gilroy Is Very Sad at How Relevant ‘Andor' Has Become
When Tony Gilroy began his Andor journey, his original pitch was deemed 'pretty mad and undoable' by Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the showrunner revealed how that initial take would later get revisited after Lucasfilm gave it some thought. 'They came back to me and said, 'We looked at this memo from a year and a half ago, and it makes a lot more sense to us now,'' he recalled. That, of course, led to a series expanding on the very foundation that Star Wars creator George Lucas had in mind when he began the beloved saga: Space Nazis are bad, and the rebellion is coming. Around the time award nominations were announced for the show's critically acclaimed second season, real-world headlines eerily mirrored events seen in Andor. In particular, a scene in the Emmy-nominated episode 'Welcome to the Rebellion,' which depicts a Ghorman senator being carted off by stormtroopers as he says, 'My people today and yours tomorrow; remember Ghorman!' struck a very timely nerve. It's a devastating series of events that's not lost on Gilroy. 'When I started on the show, the parallels between what was happening in the world and what was happening in the galaxy and the Empire—those were already obvious.' He explained that his inspiration came from a love of history and using that to embed the seeds of how totalitarianism has taken root in Star Wars. 'But over the six years we've been doing the show, that little monster got on its feet and learned how to run,' he said. 'When [U.S. Senator for California Alex Padilla] was pulled out of the ICE meeting, like in the episode about the Ghorman senator being pulled out, there was a big text chain in our group like, 'Oh my God. It looked like the show.' It's very sad for us how much it rhymes.' While we continue to live in unprecedented times, the filmmaker notes that Andor feels like something he can't see himself doing again. It's disappointing, but as the state of the entertainment industry continues to evolve, it makes sense. 'For five and a half years, every single day of my life, I had a maximally imaginative involvement that was never complete—writing, designing, music, casting, all of it,' Gilroy said of the pandemic-era-born production. 'Every demand on your imagination that could ever be asked was screaming for your attention. That's a pretty heady place to live. I grew to love it. But I can't imagine that I would ever be that fully engaged again,' he concluded, but we hold out hope the vast galaxy makes space for his return; we need these stories now more than ever. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Geek Wire
27 minutes ago
- Geek Wire
18 arrested at Microsoft headquarters in latest protest over Israel tech contracts
Police take protesters into custody on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, following a demonstration at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash. (GeekWire Photo / Maddie Stoll) REDMOND, Wash. — Eighteen people were arrested on the Microsoft campus Wednesday afternoon, including some current and former employees, as protesters continued to escalate their campaign against the company over its role in providing technology to Israel. It was the second straight day of protests by members of the group No Azure for Apartheid. The group is calling on Microsoft to cut all ties to the Israeli military and government, alleging that the company's technology is being used in the surveillance, starvation and killing of Palestinians in Gaza. Redmond police said they were dispatched around 12:15 p.m. to the plaza of Microsoft's East Campus. Protesters poured red paint on the large Microsoft sign, symbolizing blood. They also used tables and chairs to form a barrier on a nearby pedestrian bridge, according to police. In contrast with a protest Tuesday, when the group dismantled their encampment after police warned them of imminent arrest, members of the group refused to leave, resisted and 'became aggressive,' police said in a statement. There was a large law enforcement presence, as Redmond police were joined by Washington State Patrol, Bellevue Police, and Kirkland Police. The arrests were for charges including trespassing, malicious mischief, resisting arrest and obstruction. Police said no injuries were reported. One of those arrested was Hossam Nasr, a leader of the group who was fired from Microsoft last year after an earlier protest on the Redmond campus, for what the company described as violations of its policies designed to prevent workplace disruption. Red paint covers the Microsoft sign at the company's headquarters. Protesters from the group No Azure for Apartheid also placed shrouds in the plaza intending to symbolize martyrs of Gaza. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop) Abdo Mohamed, an organizer of the group who was also fired by Microsoft last year, said after the protest Wednesday that the 'escalations will continue' as long as Microsoft is 'embedded in the Israeli economy of genocide and apartheid' against Palestinians in Gaza. He said Microsoft seemed to be showing more outrage over red paint and relocated chairs than over its technology's alleged role in the killing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement, Microsoft said the group 'engaged in vandalism and property damage' after returning to campus for a second day. The company accused protesters of disrupting and harassing local small businesses at a lunchtime farmer's market for employees, and taking their tables and tents. 'Microsoft will continue to do the hard work needed to uphold its human rights standards in the Middle East, while supporting and taking clear steps to address unlawful actions that damage property, disrupt business or that threaten and harm others,' the company said. The company reiterated its commitment to its human rights standards and noted it is 'pursuing a thorough and independent review of new allegations' regarding the use of its Azure platform in the surveillance of Palestinians in Gaza. Microsoft announced Aug. 15 that it had hired the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to lead the review after reports in The Guardian and other outlets alleged Israeli forces used Microsoft servers as part of the mass surveillance of Palestinians. The company said the report contained 'additional and precise allegations that merit a full and urgent review,' and noted that it would publicly release the findings. In past statements, Microsoft has said it complies with its human rights commitments, and that its contracts with Israel's Ministry of Defense are standard commercial agreements, governed by its terms of service and AI Code of Conduct. Earlier this year, Microsoft said internal and external reviews found no violations. However, the company at the time also acknowledged its limited visibility into how its technology is deployed on private or on-premises systems.
