About this episode
American police departments are using secretive AI technology to create lifelike AI personas designed to interact with real people online —like protesters and activists— for intelligence gathering. This tech is becoming more popular amid crackdowns on student protests against the war in Gaza. Leaked presentations reveal AI personas posing as various individuals, from divorced activists to teenage boys, in attempts to infiltrate online communities. 404 Media's Jason Koebler joins me to break down how these AI bots work, how they're being deployed, how to identify them, and what role AI plays in the future of surveillance. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://www.usermag.co Subscribe to my YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/taylorlorenz Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/taylorlorenz.bsky.social