Argentina's firebrand leader, Javier Milley, continues to win. He has pledged to bring a liberal revolution to the long-socialist country and this month Crush inflation, Moving Forward A new austerity zero budget; and schedule A high-level discussion with Cardano's founder about the future of cryptocurrencies. But unfortunately, there's another side to Milley's policy plans that reads like dystopian science fiction.
When Javier Millay was inaugurated as president of Argentina last November, the far right around the world erupted in jubilation. His landslide victory over Peronist candidate Sérgio Massa by nearly three million votes gave hope to populists around the world. Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro have The first to support Argentina's allies were President Trump confidently predicted that Milley would “Make Argentina Great Again,” while President Bolsonaro hailed the victory as a triumph of “integrity, progress and freedom.” The praise and accolades are well deserved: after all, the Argentine people elected a president who is on their side and promises to work hard for their interests.
Authorities may detain individuals in anticipation of possible future crimes, depriving them of the very essence of free will and personal freedom.
That's what makes Millais' latest endeavor so puzzling and unsettling.
Under his leadership, Argentina recently It has established what it calls the “Applied Artificial Intelligence for Security Unit.” The new agency is part of the Ministry of Security and is tasked with using AI to analyze vast amounts of criminal history data, monitor social media interactions, and predict and prevent criminal activity.
Such efforts may seem forward-thinking and innovative. The idea that AI can predict criminal behavior based on past patterns sounds efficient, and in some ways it is. But they are littered with potential landmines of overreach, profiling, and unjustified surveillance. The focus on scanning social media for “potential threats” risks invasive surveillance of ordinary citizens’ daily lives under vaguely defined and potentially overly broad mandates.
Unfortunately, this is not just a problem for Mirey or Argentina. AI-based surveillance is becoming increasingly common in countries around the world, including the United States. In China, where I worked for 18 months, AI is already being deployed to monitor the behavior of its citizens, with those deemed “untrustworthy” facing a range of punishments, from travel bans to restricted access to social services. The situation is already changing, and cities such as New York and London could be said to be more similar to Beijing and Shanghai in terms of surveillance.
Of course, this dystopian reality is eerily similar to the one depicted in an episode of “Black Mirror.” Or like the movie Minority Report, authorities could detain individuals in anticipation of possible future crimes, stripping away the essence of free will and personal freedom. Social media posts, online searches, and even the most mundane activities could come under relentless scrutiny from automated systems designed to flag anything deemed suspicious.
As if that were not enough, these systems can easily be abused, leading to unjustified interference, attacks on political opponents, and the suppression of dissent. As I write this, “hate speech” laws are being enforced with increasing strictness across Europe, including in my native Ireland. Individuals found guilty of crossing the line, even in social media posts, can face penalties of up to $100,000. Long prison sentences.
Now is the time for citizens and lawmakers to critically engage with these developments. It is crucial to ensure that the pursuit of safety does not come at the expense of the very freedoms it seeks to protect. AI can be a tool for good, but only if ordinary people have a say in how it is used. The power to shape the future should not rest solely with governments and big tech companies. We must demand transparency, accountability and a say in how these technologies are deployed. Otherwise, Big Brother will only get bigger and, no doubt, more evil.
