FBI Wants to Add AI to Drones

The FBI is looking for ways to use artificial intelligence in drones, according to federal procurement documents.

On Thursday,the FBI asked companies that sell AI and machine learning technology to submit facts for a future contract. This is done through a “request for information,” where the government asks companies about their capabilities.

“It’s essentially technology tailor-made for political retribution and harassment.”

The FBI wants technology that could let drones do things like facial recognition, identify license plates, and detect weapons, the document says.

This plan quickly worried civil liberties groups, who warn that AI-powered FBI drones could discourage people from exercising their First Amendment rights.

“By their very nature, these technologies aren’t built to spy on a specific person under investigation,” said Matthew Guariglia, a policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “They’re built to do widespread surveillance of everyone, making people involved in politics and marginalized groups even more vulnerable to harassment.”

The FBI didn’t respond to a request for comment.