{"id":1789,"date":"2023-03-08T16:06:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T21:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=1789"},"modified":"2023-03-08T16:06:45","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T21:06:45","slug":"techno-tyranny-how-the-us-national-security-state-is-using-coronavirus-to-fulfill-an-orwellian-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/?p=1789","title":{"rendered":"Techno-Tyranny: How The US National Security State Is Using Coronavirus To Fulfill An Orwellian Vision"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-1024x600.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-1790\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-1024x600.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1790\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-1024x600.png 1024w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-300x176.png 300w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-770x451.png 770w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-293x172.png 293w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8-390x229.png 390w, https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-8.png 1160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Last year, a government commission called for the US to adopt an AI-driven mass surveillance system far beyond that used in any other country in order to ensure American hegemony in artificial intelligence. Now, many of the \u201cobstacles\u201d they had cited as preventing its implementation are rapidly being removed under the guise of combating the coronavirus crisis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally published at<em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/top-news\/techno-tyranny-how-us-national-security-state-using-coronavirus-fulfill-orwellian-vision\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Last American Vagabond<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Last year, a government commission called for the US to adopt an AI-driven mass surveillance system far beyond that used in any other country in order to ensure American hegemony in artificial intelligence. Now, many of the \u201cobstacles\u201d they had cited as preventing its implementation are rapidly being removed under the guise of combating the coronavirus crisis.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, a U.S. government body dedicated to examining how artificial intelligence can \u201caddress the national security and defense needs of the United States\u201d discussed in detail the \u201cstructural\u201d changes that the American economy and society must undergo in order to ensure a technological advantage over China, according to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a recent document acquired through a FOIA request<\/a>. This document suggests that the U.S. follow China\u2019s lead and even surpass them in many aspects related to AI-driven technologies, particularly their use of mass surveillance. This perspective clearly clashes with the public rhetoric of prominent U.S. government officials and politicians on China, who have labeled the Chinese government\u2019s technology investments and export of its surveillance systems and other technologies as a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense-national-security\/top-pentagon-official-china-a-threat-to-our-way-of-life-in-the-united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">major \u201cthreat\u201d to Americans\u2019 \u201cway of life.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, many of the steps for the implementation of such a program in the U.S., as laid out in this newly available document, are currently being promoted and implemented as part of the government\u2019s response to the current coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. This likely due to the fact that many members of this same body have considerable overlap with the taskforces and advisors currently guiding the government\u2019s plans to \u201cre-open the economy\u201d and efforts to use technology to respond to the current crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The FOIA document, obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), was produced by a little-known U.S. government organization called the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI). It was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nscai.gov\/about\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">created by<\/a>&nbsp;the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and its official purpose is \u201cto consider the methods and means necessary to advance the development of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and associated technologies to comprehensively address the national security and defense needs of the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NSCAI is a key part of the government\u2019s response to what is often referred to as the coming \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/carnegieendowment.org\/2019\/10\/10\/competing-with-china-on-technology-and-innovation-pub-80010\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fourth industrial revolution<\/a>,\u201d which has been described as \u201ca revolution characterized by discontinuous technological development in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), big data, fifth-generation telecommunications networking (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=16dZYURgIhU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5G<\/a>), nanotechnology and biotechnology, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and quantum computing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, their&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nscai.gov\/about\/about\/fy19-ndaa-section-1051\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">main focus<\/a>&nbsp;is ensuring that \u201cthe United States \u2026&nbsp;<strong>maintain a technological advantage<\/strong>&nbsp;in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other associated technologies related to national security and defense.\u201d The vice-chair of NSCAI,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nscai.gov\/about\/commissioners\/work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robert Work<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 former Deputy Secretary of Defense and senior fellow at the hawkish&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnas.org\/people?group=board-of-directors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Center for a New American Security (CNAS)<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">described the commission\u2019s purpose<\/a>&nbsp;as determining \u201chow the U.S. national security apparatus should approach artificial intelligence, including a focus on<strong>&nbsp;how the government can work with industry to compete with China\u2019s \u2018civil-military fusion\u2019 concept<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The recently released NSCAI document is a May 2019 presentation entitled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chinese Tech Landscape Overview<\/a>.\u201d Throughout the presentation, the NSCAI promotes the overhaul of the U.S. economy and way of life as necessary for allowing the U.S. to ensure it holds a considerable technological advantage over China, as losing this advantage is currently deemed a major \u201cnational security\u201d issue by the U.S. national security apparatus. This concern about maintaining a technological advantage can be seen in several other U.S. military documents and think tank reports,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2015-05-08\/china-advances-threaten-erosion-of-u-s-advantage-pentagon-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several of which<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.defenseone.com\/threats\/2018\/02\/new-report-quantifies-erosion-pentagons-technological-advantage\/146162\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have warned<\/a>&nbsp;that the U.S.\u2019 technological advantage is quickly eroding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. government and establishment media outlets often blame&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/tech\/china-is-using-economic-espionage-and-theft-to-grab-us-technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alleged Chinese espionage<\/a>&nbsp;or the Chinese government\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/05\/04\/china-aims-to-steal-us-a-i-crown-and-not-even-trade-war-will-stop-it.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more explicit partnerships<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2017\/02\/china-artificial-intelligence\/516615\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">with private technology companies<\/a>&nbsp;in support of their claim that the U.S. is losing this advantage over China. For instance, Chris Darby, the current CEO of the CIA\u2019s In-Q-Tel, who is also on the NSCAI,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/intelligence-matters-in-q-tel-president-chris-darby-on-the-intelligence-communitys-innovation-challenges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told&nbsp;<em>CBS News<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;last year that China is the U.S.\u2019 main competitor in terms of technology and that U.S. privacy laws were hampering the U.S.\u2019 capacity to counter China in this regard, stating that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201c[D]ata is the new oil. And China is just awash with data. And&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>they don\u2019t have the same restraints<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;that we do around collecting it and using it, because of the privacy difference between our countries. This notion that they have the largest labeled data set in the world is going to be&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>a huge strength for them<\/em><\/strong><em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In another example, Michael Dempsey \u2013 former acting Director of National Intelligence and currently a government-funded fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations \u2013 argued in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/opinion\/national-security\/373481-winning-the-national-security-game-requires-technological\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Hill<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cIt\u2019s quite clear, though, that China is&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>determined to erase<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;our technological advantage, and is committing hundreds of billions of dollars to this effort. In particular, China is determined to be a world leader in such areas as artificial intelligence, high performance computing, and synthetic biology. These are the industries that will shape life on the planet and&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>the military balance of power for the next several decades<\/em><\/strong><em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, the national security apparatus of the United States is so concerned about losing a technological edge over China that the Pentagon recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2018\/04\/pentagon-intel-agencies-set-up-new-ai-joint-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">decided to join forces directly<\/a>&nbsp;with the U.S. intelligence community in order \u201cto get in front of Chinese advances in artificial intelligence.\u201d This union&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2018\/06\/joint-artificial-intelligence-center-created-under-dod-cio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">resulted in<\/a>&nbsp;the creation of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC),&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/breakingdefense.com\/2018\/04\/pentagon-intel-agencies-set-up-new-ai-joint-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">which ties together<\/a>&nbsp;\u201cthe military\u2019s efforts with those of the Intelligence Community, allowing them to combine efforts&nbsp;<strong>in a breakneck push to move government\u2019s AI initiatives forward<\/strong>.\u201d It also coordinates with other government agencies, industry, academics, and U.S. allies. Robert Work, who subsequently became the NSCAI vice-chair, said at the time that JAIC\u2019s creation was a \u201cwelcome first step in response to Chinese, and to a lesser extent, Russian, plans to dominate these technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar concerns about \u201closing\u201d technological advantage to China have also been voiced by the NSCAI chairman, Eric Schmidt, the former head of Alphabet \u2013 Google\u2019s parent company, who&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/02\/27\/opinion\/eric-schmidt-ai-china.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">argued in February in the&nbsp;<em>New York Times<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;that Silicon Valley could soon lose \u201cthe technology wars\u201d to China if the U.S. government doesn\u2019t take action. Thus, the three main groups represented within the NSCAI \u2013 the intelligence community, the Pentagon and Silicon Valley \u2013 all view China\u2019s advancements in AI as a major national security threat (and in Silicon Valley\u2019s case, threat to their bottom lines and market shares) that must be tackled quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"targeting-chinas-adoption-advantage\">Targeting China\u2019s \u201cadoption advantage\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the May 2019 \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chinese Tech Landscape Overview<\/a>\u201d presentation, the NSCAI discusses that, while the U.S. still leads in the \u201ccreation\u201d stage of AI and related technologies, it lags behind China in the \u201cadoption\u201d stage due to \u201cstructural factors.\u201d It says that \u201ccreation\u201d, followed by \u201cadoption\u201d and \u201citeration\u201d are the three phases of the \u201clife cycle of new tech\u201d and asserts that failing to dominate in the \u201cadoption\u201d stage will allow China to \u201cleapfrog\u201d the U.S. and dominate AI for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The presentation also argues that, in order to \u201cleapfrog\u201d competitors in emerging markets, what is needed is not \u201cindividual brilliance\u201d but instead specific \u201cstructural conditions that exist within certain markets.\u201d It cites several case studies where China is considered to be \u201cleapfrogging\u201d the U.S. due to major differences in these \u201cstructural factors.\u201d Thus, the insinuation of the document (though not directly stated) is that the U.S. must alter the \u201cstructural factors\u201d that are currently responsible for its lagging behind China in the \u201cadoption\u201d phase of AI-driven technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chief among the troublesome \u201cstructural factors\u201d highlighted in this presentation are so-called \u201clegacy systems\u201d that are common in the U.S. but much less so in China. The NSCAI document states that examples of \u201clegacy systems\u201d include a financial system that still utilizes cash and card payments, individual car ownership and even receiving medical attention from a human doctor. It states that, while these \u201clegacy systems\u201d in the US are \u201cgood enough,\u201d too many \u201cgood enough\u201d systems \u201chinder the adoption of new things,\u201d specifically AI-driven systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another structural factor deemed by the NSCAI to be an obstacle to the U.S.\u2019 ability to maintain a technological advantage over China is the \u201cscale of the consumer market,\u201d arguing that \u201cextreme urban density = on-demand service adoption.\u201d In other words, extreme urbanization results in more people using online or mobile-based \u201con-demand\u201d services, ranging from ride-sharing to online shopping. It also cites the use of mass surveillance on China\u2019s \u201chuge population base\u201d is an example of how China\u2019s \u201cscale of consumer market\u201d advantage allowing \u201cChina to leap ahead\u201d in the fields of related technologies, like facial recognition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.13.31-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-43667\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.13.31-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43667\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the alleged shortcomings of the U.S.\u2019 \u201clegacy systems\u201d and lack of \u201cextreme urban density,\u201d the NSCAI also calls for more \u201cexplicit government support and involvement\u201d as a means to speed up the adoption of these systems in the U.S. This includes the government lending its stores of data on civilians to train AI, specifically citing facial recognition databases, and mandating that cities be \u201cre-architected around AVs [autonomous vehicles],\u201d among others. Other examples given include the government investing large amounts of money in AI start-ups and adding tech behemoths to a national, public-private AI taskforce focused on smart city-implementation (among other things).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With regards to the latter, the document says \u201cthis level of public-private cooperation\u201d in China is \u201coutwardly embraced\u201d by the parties involved, with this \u201cserving as a stark contrast to the controversy around Silicon Valley selling to the U.S. government.\u201d Examples of such controversy, from the NSCAI\u2019s perspective, likely include Google employees&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/news\/google-project-maven-drone-protect-resign\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">petitioning to end<\/a>&nbsp;the Google-Pentagon \u201cProject Maven,\u201d which uses Google\u2019s AI software to analyze footage captured by drones. Google eventually&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/google-plans-not-to-renew-its-contract-for-project-mave-1826488620\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chose not to renew<\/a>&nbsp;its Maven contract as a result of the controversy, even though top Google executives viewed the project as a \u201cgolden opportunity\u201d to collaborate more closely with the military and intelligence communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The document also defines another aspect of government support as the \u201cclearing of regulatory barriers.\u201d This term is used in the document specifically with respect to U.S. privacy laws, despite the fact that the U.S. national security state has long violated these laws with near complete impunity. However, the document seems to suggest that privacy laws in the U.S. should be altered so that what the U.S. government has done \u201cin secret\u201d with private citizen data can be done more openly and more extensively. The NSCAI document also discusses the removal of \u201cregulatory barriers\u201d in order to speed up the adoption of self-driving cars, even though autonomous driving technology has resulted in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/tech\/tech-news\/self-driving-uber-car-hit-killed-woman-did-not-recognize-n1079281\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">several deadly<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2016\/jun\/30\/tesla-autopilot-death-self-driving-car-elon-musk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">and horrific car accidents<\/a>&nbsp;and presents&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/when-it-comes-to-safety-autonomous-cars-are-still-teen-drivers1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">other safety concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.16.54-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-43668\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.16.54-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43668\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Also discussed is how China\u2019s \u201cadoption advantage\u201d will \u201callow it to leapfrog the U.S.\u201d in several new fields, including \u201cAI medical diagnosis\u201d and \u201csmart cities.\u201d It then asserts that \u201cthe future will be decided at the intersection of private enterprise and policy leaders between China and the U.S.\u201d If this coordination over the global AI market does not occur, the document warns that \u201cwe [the U.S.] risk being left out of the discussions where norms around AI are set for the rest of our lifetimes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The presentation also dwells considerably on how \u201cthe main battleground [in technology] are not the domestic Chinese and US markets,\u201d but what it refers to as the NBU (next billion users) markets, where it states that \u201cChinese players will aggressively challenge Silicon Valley.\u201d In order to challenge them more successfully, the presentation argues that, \u201cjust like we [view] the market of teenagers as a harbinger for new trends, we should look at China.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The document also expresses concerns about China exporting AI more extensively and intensively than the U.S., saying that China is \u201calready crossing borders\u201d by helping to build facial databases in Zimbabwe and selling image recognition and smart city systems to Malaysia. If allowed to become \u201cthe unambiguous leader in AI,\u201d it says that \u201cChina could end up writing much of the rulebook of international norms around the deployment of AI\u201d and that it would \u201cbroaden China\u2019s sphere of influence amongst an international community that increasingly looks to the pragmatic authoritarianism of China and Singapore as an alternative to Western liberal democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-will-replace-the-us-legacy-systems\">What will replace the US\u2019 \u201clegacy systems\u201d?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that the document makes it quite clear that \u201clegacy systems\u201d in the U.S. are impeding its ability to prevent China from \u201cleapfrogging\u201d ahead in AI and then dominating it for the foreseeable future, it is also important to examine what the document suggests should replace these \u201clegacy systems\u201d in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As previously mentioned, one \u201clegacy system\u201d cited early on in the presentation is the main means of payment for most Americans, cash and credit\/debit cards. The presentation asserts, in contrast to these \u201clegacy systems\u201d that the best and most advanced system is moving entirely to smartphone-based digital wallets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It notes specifically the main mobile wallet provider in India, PayTM, is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/m.economictimes.com\/industry\/banking\/finance\/banking\/alibaba-ant-financial-invest-about-680-million-in-paytm-up-stake-to-40\/articleshow\/49148651.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">majority owned by<\/a>&nbsp;Chinese companies. It quotes an article, which states that \u201ca big break came [in 2016] when India canceled 86% of currency in circulation in an effort to cut corruption and bring more people into the tax net by forcing them to use less cash.\u201d At the time, claims that India\u2019s 2016 \u201ccurrency reform\u201d would be used as a stepping stone towards a cashless society were dismissed by some as \u201cconspiracy theory.\u201d However, last year, a committee&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/innovations\/wp\/2017\/01\/23\/what-the-u-s-can-learn-from-indias-move-toward-a-cashless-society\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">convened by<\/a>&nbsp;India\u2019s central bank (and led by an Indian tech oligarch who also created India\u2019s massive civilian biometric database) resulted in the Indian government\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/cashlessindia.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cashless India<\/a>\u201d program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regarding India\u2019s 2016 \u201ccurrency reform,\u201d the NSCAI document then asserts that \u201c<strong>this would be unfathomable in the West.<\/strong>&nbsp;And unsurprisingly, when 86% of the cash got cancelled and nobody had a credit card, mobile wallets in India exploded, laying the groundwork for&nbsp;<strong>a far more advanced payments ecosystem in India than the US.<\/strong>\u201d However, it has become increasingly less unfathomable in light of the current coronavirus crisis, which has seen efforts to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/cash-paper-money-coronavirus-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reduce the amount of cash used<\/a>&nbsp;because&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/money\/2020\/03\/06\/coronavirus-covid-19-concerns-over-using-cash\/4973975002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">paper bills may carry the virus<\/a>&nbsp;as well as efforts to introduce a Federal Reserve-backed \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/fed-digital-dollars-are-part-of-debate-over-coronavirus-stimulus-11585085518\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">digital dollar<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the NSCAI document from last May calls for the end of in-person shopping and promotes moving towards all shopping being performed online. It argues that \u201cAmerican companies have a lot to gain by adopting ideas from Chinese companies\u201d by shifting towards exclusive e-commerce purchasing options. It states that only shopping online provides a \u201cgreat experience\u201d and also adds that \u201c<strong>when buying online is literally the only way to get what you want, consumers go online<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.25.40-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-43669\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.25.40-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43669\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another \u201clegacy system\u201d that the NSCAI seeks to overhaul is car ownership, as it promotes autonomous, or self-driving vehicles and further asserts that \u201cfleet ownership &gt; individual ownership.\u201d It specifically points to a need for \u201ca centralized ride-sharing network,\u201d which it says \u201cis needed to coordinate cars to achieve near 100% utilization rates.\u201d However, it warns against ride-sharing networks that \u201cneed a human operator paired with each vehicle\u201d and also asserts that \u201cfleet ownership makes more sense\u201d than individual car ownership. It also specifically calls for these fleets to not only be composed of self-driving cars, but electric cars and cites reports that China \u201chas the world\u2019s most aggressive electric vehicle goals\u2026.and&nbsp;<strong>seek[s] the lead<\/strong>&nbsp;in an emerging industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The document states that China leads in ride-sharing today even though ride-sharing was pioneered first in the U.S. It asserts once again that the U.S. \u201clegacy system\u201d of individual car ownership and lack of \u201cextreme urban density\u201d are responsible for China\u2019s dominance in this area. It also predicts that China will \u201cachieve mass autonomous [vehicle] adoption before the U.S.,\u201d largely because \u201cthe lack of mass car ownership [in China] leads to far more consumer receptiveness to AVs [autonomous vehicles].\u201d It then notes that \u201cearlier mass adoption leads to a virtuous cycle that allows Chinese core self-driving tech to accelerate beyond [its] Western counterparts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to their vision for a future financial system and future self-driving transport system, the NSCAI has a similarly dystopian vision for surveillance. The document calls mass surveillance \u201cone of the \u2018first-and-best customers\u2019 for AI\u201d and \u201ca killer application for deep learning.\u201d It also states that \u201chaving streets carpeted with cameras is good infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.30.39-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-43670\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.30.39-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43670\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It then discusses how \u201can entire generation of AI unicorn\u201d companies are \u201ccollecting the bulk of their early revenue from government security contracts\u201d and praises the use of AI in facilitating policing activities. For instance, it lauds reports that \u201cpolice are making convictions based on phone calls monitored with iFlyTek\u2019s voice-recognition technology\u201d and that \u201cpolice departments are using [AI] facial recognition tech to assist in everything from catching traffic law violators to resolving murder cases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the point of facial recognition technology specifically, the NSCAI document asserts that China has \u201cleapt ahead\u201d of the US on facial recognition, even though \u201cbreakthroughs in using machine learning for image recognition initially occurred in the US.\u201d It claims that China\u2019s advantage in this instance is because they have government-implemented mass surveillance (\u201cclearing of regulatory barriers\u201d), enormous government-provided stores of data (\u201cexplicit government support\u201d) combined with private sector databases on a huge population base (\u201cscale of consumer market\u201d). As a consequence of this, the NSCAI argues, China is also set to leap ahead of the U.S. in both image\/facial recognition and biometrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The document also points to another glaring difference between the U.S. and its rival, stating that: \u201cIn the press and politics of America and Europe, Al is painted as something to be feared that is eroding privacy and stealing jobs. Conversely, China views it as both a tool for solving major macroeconomic challenges in order to sustain their economic miracle, and&nbsp;<strong>an opportunity to take technological leadership on the global stage<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NSCAI document also touches on the area of healthcare, calling for the implementation of a system that seems to be becoming reality thanks to the current coronavirus crisis. In discussing the use of AI in healthcare (almost a year before the current crisis began), it states that \u201cChina could lead the world in this sector\u201d and \u201cthis could lead to them exporting their tech and setting international norms.\u201d One reason for this is also that China has \u201cfar too few doctors for the population\u201d and calls having enough doctors for in-person visits a \u201clegacy system.\u201d It also cited U.S. regulatory measures such as \u201cHIPPA compliance and FDA approval\u201d as obstacles that don\u2019t constrain Chinese authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More troubling, it argues that \u201cthe potential impact of government supplied data is even more significant in biology and healthcare,\u201d and says it is likely that \u201cthe Chinese government [will] require every single citizen to have their DNA sequenced and stored in government databases, something nearly impossible to imagine in places as privacy conscious as the U.S. and Europe.\u201d It continues by saying that \u201cthe Chinese apparatus is well-equipped to take advantage\u201d and calls these civilian DNA databases a \u201clogical next step.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.36.52-PM.png?resize=500%2C280&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-43671\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-20-at-3.36.52-PM.png?resize=500%2C280&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43671\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-are-the-nscai\">Who are the NSCAI?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the sweeping changes to the U.S. that the NSCAI promoted in this presentation last May, it becomes important to examine who makes up the commission and to consider their influence over U.S. policy on these matters, particularly during the current crisis. As previously mentioned, the chairman of the NSCAI is Eric Schmidt, the former head of Alphabet (Google\u2019s parent company) who has also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mintpressnews.com\/cia-israel-mossad-jeffrey-epstein-orwellian-nightmare\/261692\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">invested heavily<\/a>&nbsp;in Israeli intelligence-linked tech companies including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mintpressnews.com\/cia-israel-mossad-jeffrey-epstein-orwellian-nightmare\/261692\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the controversial start-up \u201cincubator\u201d Team8<\/a>. In addition, the committee\u2019s vice-chair is Robert Work, is not only a former top Pentagon official, but is currently working with the think tank CNAS, which is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnas.org\/people?group=executive-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">run by<\/a>&nbsp;John McCain\u2019s long-time foreign policy adviser and Joe Biden\u2019s former national security adviser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nscai.gov\/about\/commissioners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Other members<\/a>&nbsp;of the NSCAI are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle, with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mintpressnews.com\/sheldon-adelson-and-the-zionist-lobby-push-for-hr-mcmasters-ouster\/238513\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">close ties<\/a>&nbsp;to Trump\u2019s top donor Sheldon Adelson<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Steve Chien, supervisor of the Artificial Intelligence Group at Caltech\u2019s Jet Propulsion Lab<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mignon Clyburn, Open Society Foundation fellow and former FCC commissioner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chris Darby, CEO of In-Q-Tel (CIA\u2019s venture capital arm)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ken Ford, CEO of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jose-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University and former National Science Board member<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eric Horvitz, director of Microsoft Research Labs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services (CIA contractor)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gilman Louie, partner at Alsop Louie Partners and former CEO of In-Q-Tel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>William Mark, director of SRI International and former Lockheed Martin director<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jason Matheny, director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, former Assistant director of National Intelligence and former director of IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Project Agency)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Katharina McFarland, consultant at Cypress International and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Andrew Moore, head of Google Cloud AI<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As can be seen in the list above, there is a considerable amount of overlap between the NSCAI and the companies currently advising the White House on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.crn.com\/news\/mobility\/trump-s-economic-revival-group-enlists-ceos-of-apple-google-microsoft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cre-opening\u201d the economy<\/a>&nbsp;(Microsoft, Amazon, Google,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kaylatausche\/status\/1250200117388468227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lockheed Martin<\/a>, Oracle) and one NSCAI member,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.crn.com\/news\/mobility\/trump-s-economic-revival-group-enlists-ceos-of-apple-google-microsoft\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oracle\u2019s Safra Katz<\/a>, is on the White House\u2019s \u201ceconomic revival\u201d taskforce. Also, there is also overlap between the NSCAI and the companies that are intimately involved in the implementation of the \u201ccontact tracing\u201d \u201ccoronavirus surveillance system,\u201d a mass surveillance system promoted by the Jared Kushner-led, private-sector coronavirus task force. That surveillance system is set to be constructed by companies&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/top-news\/meet-companies-poised-build-kushner-backed-coronavirus-surveillance-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">with deep ties to Google and the U.S. national security state<\/a>, and both Google and Apple, who create the operating systems for the vast majority of smartphones used in the U.S., have said they will now build that surveillance system&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/platform\/amp\/interface\/2020\/4\/14\/21219289\/apple-google-contact-tracing-app-android-ios-pros-cons-quarantine-testing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">directly into their smartphone operating systems<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also notable is the fact that In-Q-Tel and the U.S. intelligence community has considerable representation on the NSCAI and that they also boast close ties with Google, Palantir and other Silicon Valley giants, having been early investors in those companies. Both Google and Palantir, as well as Amazon (also on the NSCAI) are also major contractors for U.S. intelligence agencies. In-Q-Tel\u2019s involvement on the NSCAI is also significant because they have been heavily promoting mass surveillance of consumer electronic devices for use in pandemics for the past several years. Much of that push&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bnext.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/data-tech-to-the-rescue_0710207-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has come from<\/a>&nbsp;In-Q-Tel\u2019s current Executive Vice President Tara O\u2019Toole, who was previously the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/top-news\/all-roads-lead-dark-winter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">also co-authored several controversial biowarfare\/pandemic simulations<\/a>, such as Dark Winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, since at least January, the U.S. intelligence community and the Pentagon have been at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mintpressnews.com\/us-intelligence-unsettling-role-classified-9-11-like-coronavirus-response\/265687\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the forefront of developing<\/a>&nbsp;the U.S. government\u2019s still-classified \u201c9\/11-style\u201d response plans for the coronavirus crisis, alongside the National Security Council. Few news organizations have noted that these&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/health\/alarming-us-coronavirus-continuity-government-plan-even-italy-now-suggesting-china-not-origin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">classified response plans<\/a>, which are set to be triggered if and when the U.S. reaches a certain number of coronavirus cases, has been created largely by elements of the national security state (i.e. the NSC, Pentagon, and intelligence), as opposed to civilian agencies or those focused on public health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, it&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/20\/politics\/us-intelligence-reports-trump-coronavirus\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has been reported<\/a>&nbsp;that the U.S. intelligence community as well as U.S. military intelligence knew by at least January (though recent reports have said&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/us-alerted-israel-nato-to-disease-outbreak-in-china-in-november-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as early as last November<\/a>) that the coronavirus crisis would reach \u201cpandemic proportions\u201d by March. The American public were not warned, but elite members of the business and political classes were apparently informed, given the record numbers of CEO resignations in January and several high-profile insider trading allegations that preceded the current crisis by a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps even more disconcerting is the added fact that the U.S. government not only participated in the eerily prescient pandemic simulation last October&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/20\/politics\/us-intelligence-reports-trump-coronavirus\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">known as Event 201<\/a>, it also led a series of pandemic response simulations last year. Crimson Contagion was a series of four simulations that involved 19 U.S. federal agencies, including intelligence and the military, as well as 12 different states and a host of private sector companies that simulated a devastating pandemic influenza outbreak that had originated in China. It was led by the current HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Robert Kadlec, who is a former lobbyist for military and intelligence contractors and a Bush-era homeland security \u201cbioterrorism\u201d advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-09-at-12.49.24-PM.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-09-at-12.49.24-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-43571\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelastamericanvagabond.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screen-Shot-2020-04-09-at-12.49.24-PM.png?resize=500%2C281&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-43571\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, both Kadlec and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, which was intimately involved in Event 201, have direct ties to the controversial June 2001 biowarfare exercise \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/03\/20\/politics\/us-intelligence-reports-trump-coronavirus\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dark Winter<\/a>,\u201d which predicted the 2001 anthrax attacks that transpired just months later in disturbing ways. Though efforts by media and government were made to blame the anthrax attacks on a foreign source, the anthrax was later found to have originated at a U.S. bioweapons lab and the FBI investigation into the case has been widely regarded as a cover-up, including by the FBI\u2019s once-lead investigator on that case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the above, it is worth asking if those who share the NSCAI\u2019s vision saw the coronavirus pandemic early on as an opportunity to make the \u201cstructural changes\u201d it had deemed essential to countering China\u2019s lead in the mass adoption of AI-driven technologies, especially considering that many of the changes in the May 2019 document are now quickly taking place under the guise of combatting the coronavirus crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-nscais-vision-takes-shape\">The NSCAI\u2019s vision takes shape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the May 2019 NSCAI document was authored nearly a year ago, the coronavirus crisis has resulted in the implementation of many of the changes and the removal of many of the \u201cstructural\u201d obstacles that the commission argued needed to be drastically altered in order to ensure a technological advantage over China in the field of AI. The aforementioned move away from cash, which is taking place not just in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/cash-could-spread-coronavirus-warns-world-health-organization-2020-3?op=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">but internationally<\/a>, is just one example of many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, earlier this week&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/other\/experts-say-it-may-be-time-for-grocery-stores-to-ban-customers-from-coming-inside\/ar-BB12SjkP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>CNN<\/em>&nbsp;reported<\/a>&nbsp;that grocery stores are now considering banning in-person shopping and that the U.S. Department of Labor has recommended that retailers nationwide start \u201c\u2018using a drive-through window or offering curbside pick-up\u2019 to protect workers for exposure to coronavirus.\u201d In addition, last week, the state of Florida&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.orlandosentinel.com\/coronavirus\/jobs-economy\/os-bz-coronavirus-florida-food-stamps-online-shopping-20200413-y2ojiclwrfb5bpl3d4zrhglede-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">approved<\/a>&nbsp;an online-purchase plan for low income families using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Other reports&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/business\/grocery-workers-and-customers-say-social-distancing-inside-stores-is-difficult-amid-coronavirus-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have argued<\/a>&nbsp;that social distancing inside grocery stores is ineffective and endangering people\u2019s lives. As previously mentioned, the May 2019 NSCAI document argues that moving away from in-person shopping is necessary to mitigate China\u2019s \u201cadoption advantage\u201d and also argued that \u201cwhen buying online is&nbsp;<strong>literally the only way to get what you want<\/strong>, consumers go online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reports have also argued that these changes in shopping will last far beyond coronavirus, such as an article by&nbsp;<em>Business Insider<\/em>&nbsp;entitled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/post-coronavirus-more-americans-will-shop-online-for-groceries-2020-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The coronavirus pandemic is pushing more people online and will forever change how Americans shop for groceries, experts say<\/a>.\u201d Those cited in the piece argue that this shift away from in-person shopping will be \u201cpermanent\u201d and also states that \u201cMore people are trying these services than otherwise would have&nbsp;<strong>without this catalyst<\/strong>&nbsp;and gives online players&nbsp;<strong>a greater chance to acquire and keep a new customer base<\/strong>.\u201d A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/sg.news.yahoo.com\/things-that-will-happen-in-the-postcoronavirus-world-130155747.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">similar article<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<em>Yahoo! News<\/em>&nbsp;argues that, thanks to the current crisis, \u201cour dependence on online shopping will only rise because no one wants to catch a virus at a shop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the push towards the mass use of self-driving cars has also gotten a boost thanks to coronavirus, with driverless cars now making&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/04\/17\/coronavirus-ponyai-launches-driverless-car-deliveries-in-california.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">on-demand deliveries<\/a>&nbsp;in California. Two companies, one Chinese-owned and the other backed by Japan\u2019s SoftBank, have since been approved to have their self-driving cars used on California roads and that approval was expedited due to the coronavirus crisis. The CPO of Nuro Inc., the SoftBank-backed company, was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/finance\/companies\/softbank-backed-nuro-gets-ok-for-driverless-delivery-car-tests\/ar-BB12i34X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">quoted in&nbsp;<em>Bloomberg<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;as saying that \u201c<strong>The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited the public need<\/strong>&nbsp;for contactless delivery services. Our R2 fleet is custom-designed&nbsp;<strong>to change the very nature of driving and the movement of goods<\/strong>&nbsp;by allowing people to remain safely at home while their groceries, medicines, and packages are brought to them.\u201d Notably,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/epic.org\/foia\/epic-v-ai-commission\/EPIC-19-09-11-NSCAI-FOIA-20200331-3rd-Production-pt9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the May 2019 NSCAI document<\/a>&nbsp;references the inter-connected web of SoftBank-backed companies, particularly those backed by its largely Saudi-funded \u201cVision Fund,\u201d as forming \u201cthe connective tissue for a global federation of tech companies\u201d set to dominate AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>California isn\u2019t the only state to start using self-driving cars, as the Mayo Clinic of Florida is now also using them. \u201cUsing artificial intelligence enables us to protect staff from exposure to this contagious virus by using cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technology and frees up staff time that can be dedicated to direct treatment and care for patients,\u201d Kent Thielen, M.D., CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida stated in a recent press release&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mic.com\/p\/self-driving-cars-are-helping-the-coronavirus-fight-in-florida-22768125\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cited by&nbsp;<em>Mic<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like the changes to in-person shopping in the age of coronavirus, other reports assert that self-driving vehicles are here to stay. One report published by&nbsp;<em>Mashable<\/em>&nbsp;is entitled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mashable.com\/article\/autonomous-vehicle-perception-coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">It took a coronavirus outbreak for self-driving cars to become more appealing<\/a>,\u201d and opens by stating \u201cSuddenly, a future full of self-driving cars isn\u2019t just a sci-fi pipe dream. What used to be considered a scary, uncertain technology for many Americans looks more like an effective tool to protect ourselves from a fast-spreading, infectious disease.\u201d It further argues that this is hardly a \u201cfleeting shift\u201d in driving habits and one tech CEO cited in the piece, Anuja Sonalker of Steer Tech, claims that \u201cThere has been a distinct warming up to human-less, contactless technology.&nbsp;<strong>Humans are biohazards, machines are not<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another focus of the NSCAI presentation, AI medicine, has also seen its star rise in recent weeks. For instance, several reports&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/coronavirus-ai-steps-battle-against-235149594.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have touted how<\/a>&nbsp;AI-driven drug discovery platforms&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2020-03\/g-af9032520.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">have been able to identify<\/a>&nbsp;potential treatments for coronavirus. Microsoft, whose research lab director is on the NSCAI,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geekwire.com\/2020\/microsoft-dedicates-20m-ai-health-program-coronavirus-data-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recently put $20 million<\/a>&nbsp;into its \u201cAI for health\u201d program to speed up the use of AI in analyzing coronavirus data. In addition, \u201ctelemedicine\u201d\u2013 a form of remote medical care \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Health_News\/2020\/03\/17\/Telemedicine-comes-into-its-own-with-coronavirus-outbreak\/1781584461572\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">has also become<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Health\/wireStory\/coronavirus-spreads-medicare-telemedicine-option-69441233\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">widely adopted<\/a>&nbsp;due to the coronavirus crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several other AI-driven technologies have similarly become more widely adopted thanks to coronavirus, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/venturebeat.com\/2020\/03\/24\/dont-like-dystopian-surveillance-flatten-the-coronavirus-curve\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the use of mass surveillance<\/a>&nbsp;for \u201ccontact tracing\u201d as well as facial recognition technology and biometrics. A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/to-track-virus-governments-weigh-surveillance-tools-that-push-privacy-limits-11584479841\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent&nbsp;<em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>&nbsp;report<\/a>&nbsp;stated that the government is seriously considering both contact tracing via phone geolocation data and facial recognition technology in order to track those who&nbsp;<em>might<\/em>&nbsp;have coronavirus. In addition, private businesses \u2013 like grocery stores and restaurants \u2013 are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattletimes.com\/business\/grocery-workers-and-customers-say-social-distancing-inside-stores-is-difficult-amid-coronavirus-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">using sensors<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/lifestyle\/caliburger-coronavirus-fever-checks-facial-recognition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">facial recognition<\/a>&nbsp;to see how many people and which people are entering their stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as biometrics go, university researchers are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biometricupdate.com\/202004\/duke-researchers-to-collect-biometrics-from-wearables-in-search-for-early-covid-19-detection-method\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now working to determine<\/a>&nbsp;if \u201csmartphones and biometric wearables already contain the data we need to know if we have become infected with the novel coronavirus.\u201d Those efforts seek to detect coronavirus infections early by analyzing \u201csleep schedules, oxygen levels, activity levels and heart rate\u201d based on smartphone apps like FitBit and smartwatches. In countries outside the U.S., biometric IDs&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.trust.org\/item\/20200408075036-9oks1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are being touted<\/a>&nbsp;as a way to track those who have and lack immunity to coronavirus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-sg\/finance\/topstories\/no-more-finger-or-thumb-scanning-e2-80-94-how-covid-19-changes-biometric-access-card-usage-worldwide\/ar-BB12AjLW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one report<\/a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<em>The Edge&nbsp;<\/em>argued that the current crisis is changing what types of biometrics should be used, asserting that a shift towards thermal scanning and facial recognition is necessary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cAt this critical juncture of the crisis, any integrated facial recognition and thermal scanning solution&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>must be implemented easily, rapidly and in a cost-effective manner<\/em><\/strong><em>. Workers returning to offices or factories must not have to scramble to learn a new process or fumble with declaration forms. They must feel safe and healthy for them to work productively.&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>They just have to look at the camera and smile.<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;Cameras and thermal scanners, supported by a cloud-based solution and the appropriate software protocols, will do the rest.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Also benefiting from the coronavirus crisis is the concept of \u201csmart cities,\u201d with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/simonchandler\/2020\/04\/13\/how-smart-cities-are-protecting-against-coronavirus-but-threatening-privacy\/#647b01951cc3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Forbes<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;recently writing that \u201cSmart cities can help us combat the coronavirus pandemic.\u201d That article states that \u201cGovernments and local authorities are using smart city technology, sensors and data to trace the contacts of people infected with the coronavirus. At the same time, smart cities are also helping in efforts to determine whether social distancing rules are being followed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That article in&nbsp;<em>Forbes<\/em>&nbsp;also contains the following passage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201c\u2026[T]he use of masses of connected sensors makes it clear that the coronavirus pandemic is\u2013intentionally or not\u2013<\/em><strong><em>being used as a testbed for new surveillance technologies<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;that may threaten privacy and civil liberties. So aside from being a global health crisis,&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>the coronavirus has effectively become an experiment in how to monitor and control people at scale<\/em><\/strong><em>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Another report in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2020\/mar\/26\/life-after-coronavirus-pandemic-change-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Guardian<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;states that \u201cIf one of the government takeaways from coronavirus is that \u2018smart cities\u2019 including Songdo or Shenzhen are safer cities from a public health perspective, then we can expect greater efforts to digitally capture and record our behaviour in urban areas \u2013 and fiercer debates over the power such surveillance hands to corporations and states.\u201d There have also been reports that assert that typical cities are \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartcitiesdive.com\/news\/resilience-key-cities-coronavirus-response-recovery-abi-research\/574788\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">woefully unprepared<\/a>\u201d to face pandemics compared to \u201csmart cities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, beyond many of the NSCAI\u2019s specific concerns regarding mass AI adoption being conveniently resolved by the current crisis, there has also been a concerted effort to change the public\u2019s perception of AI in general. As previously mentioned, the NSCAI had pointed out last year that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>\u201cIn the press and politics of America and Europe, Al is painted as something to be feared that is eroding privacy and stealing jobs. Conversely, China views it as both a tool for solving major macroeconomic challenges in order to sustain their economic miracle, and an opportunity to take technological leadership on the global stage.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, less than a year later, the coronavirus crisis has helped spawn a slew of headlines in just the last few weeks that paint AI very differently, including \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/cognitiveworld\/2020\/03\/19\/how-artificial-intelligence-can-help-fight-coronavirus\/#4dfb4c994d3a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Fight Coronavirus<\/a>,\u201d \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/simonchandler\/2020\/03\/05\/how-ai-will-prevent-the-next-coronavirus-pandemic\/#3c03ffc14ac6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How AI May Prevent the Next Coronavirus Outbreak<\/a>,\u201d \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/servicenow\/2020\/04\/17\/ai-becomes-an-ally-in-the-fight-against-covid-19\/#75c8ffc93f5f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI Becomes an Ally in the Fight Against COVID-19<\/a>,\u201d \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/coronavirus-ai-steps-battle-against-235149594.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Coronavirus: AI steps up in battle against COVID-19<\/a>,\u201d and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/buzz\/heres-how-ai-can-help-africa-fight-coronavirus-145537\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Here\u2019s How AI Can Help Africa Fight the Coronavirus<\/a>,\u201d among numerous others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is indeed striking how the coronavirus crisis has seemingly fulfilled the NSCAI\u2019s entire wishlist and removed many of the obstacles to the mass adoption of AI technologies in the United States. Like major crises of the past, the national security state appears to be using the chaos and fear to promote and implement initiatives that would be normally rejected by Americans and, if history is any indicator, these new changes will remain long after the coronavirus crisis fades from the news cycle. It is essential that these so-called \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.corbettreport.com\/coronavirus-the-cures-will-be-worse-than-the-disease\/\" target=\"_blank\">solutions<\/a>\u201d be recognized for what they are and that we consider what type of world they will end up creating \u2013 an authoritarian technocracy. We ignore the rapid advance of these NSCAI-promoted initiatives and the phasing out of so-called \u201clegacy systems\u201d (and with them, many long-cherished freedoms) at our own peril.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/unlimitedhangout.com\/2020\/05\/reports\/techno-tyranny-how-the-us-national-security-state-is-using-coronavirus-to-fulfill-an-orwellian-vision\/\">https:\/\/unlimitedhangout.com\/2020\/05\/reports\/techno-tyranny-how-the-us-national-security-state-is-using-coronavirus-to-fulfill-an-orwellian-vision\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Originally published at&nbsp;The Last American Vagabond Last year, a government commission called for the US to adopt an AI-driven mass surveillance system far beyond that used in any other country in order to ensure American hegemony in artificial intelligence. Now, many of the \u201cobstacles\u201d they had cited as preventing its implementation are rapidly being removed under the guise of combating the coronavirus crisis. Last year, a U.S. government body dedicated to examining how artificial intelligence can \u201caddress the national security [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-individual-liberty","category-propaganda"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1789"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1791,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1789\/revisions\/1791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nakedpolitics.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}