The AI dimension of the surveillance society
AI-powered surveillance and targeting systems have evolved into structures that process vast pools of data to track people within an invisible web, sometimes with lethal consequences in times of war. Technologies developed by companies like Palantir are being used in areas ranging from the tracking of immigrants in the U.S. by ICE to operations in Gaza, steadily eroding privacy, freedom of expression, and fundamental rights. As they become normalized, these tools are no longer limited to governments but are also adopted by private actors to control and shape behavior.
This reality poses serious social and legal threats, while existing regulations face the risk of being weakened under corporate pressure. Even as protests and resistance grow, the technology continues to spread without transparency or oversight. The central issue is safeguarding privacy and civil liberties; otherwise, society risks surrendering to a permanent surveillance network that turns everyone into a potential target.