Techno-Hell: U.S. Government Now Using AI to Suss Out 'Sentiment and Emotion' in Social Media Posts

When the government sets about to marry its limitless appetite for social control with the seemingly limitless computing power of artificial intelligence, the end result is destined to be Orwell’s “thoughtcrime” – a concept that was once exclusively in the domain of speculative fiction — becoming reality. Life imitates art, it seems.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP), under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has reportedly been partnering with an AI tech firm called Fivecast to deploy social media surveillance software that, according to its proprietor, purportedly detects “problematic” emotions of social media users and subsequently reports them to law enforcement for further action.

Outlet 404, through FOIA requests, uncovered various Fivecast marketing documents elaborating on its software’s utility for law enforcement.

Via 404:
Customs and Border Protection (CBP), part of the Department of Homeland Security, has bought millions of dollars worth of software from a company that uses artificial intelligence to detect “sentiment and emotion” in online posts, according to a cache of documents…

CBP told 404 Media it is using technology to analyze open source information related to inbound and outbound travelers who the agency believes may threaten public safety, national security, or lawful trade and travel. In this case, the specific company called Fivecast also offers “AI-enabled” object recognition in images and video, and detection of “risk terms and phrases” across multiple languages, according to one of the documents.