The US-Mexico border has long been a site of conflict, with ongoing efforts to criminalize the right to asylum and increasing militarization. In recent years, the proliferation of AI-reliant surveillance technology has made the terrain even more hostile, forcing undocumented people into ever more dangerous territory. The deployment of “robot dogs” by the US Department of Homeland Security is just one example of this trend.
Last year, the DHS announced its plan to “force-multiply” the presence of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with the use of robot dogs. The goal was to “reduce human exposure to life-threatening hazards” in the harsh landscape of the American Southwest. However, this move raises questions about whose lives are being protected and at what cost.
The reduction of people to “items of interest” is dehumanizing and underscores the xenophobic underpinnings of border enforcement. The establishment of an AI Center of Innovation by CBP in 2022 and its subsequent embrace of AI in May 2023 further solidify the role of technology in border enforcement.
One of the main players in the AI border game is Anduril Industries, a defense company backed by right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel. Anduril has already secured a hefty CBP contract to deploy autonomous surveillance towers on the southwestern US border. At this year’s Border Security Expo in El Paso, Texas, Anduril’s surveillance technology stole the show alongside robo-dogs and other AI-powered tools.
The hyper-drive adoption of AI on the border enforcement front is concerning. The US-Mexico border is already inhospitable enough without the addition of surveillance towers, facial recognition software, and other AI-powered tools. The treatment of asylum seekers by US immigration personnel is already inhumane, and the prospect of machines taking over raises further concerns.
The use of AI in border enforcement also extends beyond the treatment of asylum seekers. In 2020, CBP deployed a Predator drone over the city of Minneapolis in response to protests over the murder of George Floyd. The militarization of borders is not limited to physical boundaries, and the unchecked adoption of AI raises ethical concerns.
As we move into an era governed by technology that knows no physical or ethical boundaries, it is crucial to consider the implications of its use in border enforcement. The US-Mexico border is just one example of the potential dangers of unchecked AI adoption. It is time for a critical examination of the role of technology in border enforcement and its impact on human lives.