Governments' (Flock) Spy Systems - Yet Another AI-Data Center-Privacy Nightmare
Much has rightly been made of the monstrous amounts of resources - water, electricity, land - data centers use.
Data centers that are now being built, we are told, to feed the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Data centers are being called “data centers?” Because the far more truthful “surveillance centers” and “human replacement centers” would be an even tougher sell.
It’s fun - for a little while longer, anyway - to ask AI about the damage being done by AI. Because as biased as Big Tech’s regular search algorithms are? That bias doesn’t yet appear to be nearly as hard-programmed into their AI responses.
I searched Lord High Bias Master Google for “data centers use lots of water.” Old school Google search delivered a bunch of links - many of them to content downplaying data centers’ massive water use.
But above the avalanche of links - was Google’s AI (Gemini) response. Which, shall we say, didn’t downplay data centers’ massive water and electricity use:
“Data centers require massive amounts of water and electricity to keep their servers cool and operating properly. A large facility can consume up to 5 million gallons daily - equivalent to the needs of a town of up to 50,000 residents. This massive demand strains local water utilities, especially in drought-prone areas like the U.S. Southwest.”
Ditto a Google search for “data centers use lots of electricity.” Google’s links downplay - Google’s AI does not:
“Data centers consume massive amounts of power due to the relentless energy demands of servers, networking hardware, and cooling systems. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), data centers account for about 1.5% of worldwide electricity and are projected to double in consumption by 2030, heavily driven by the rise of AI. A typical commercial data center uses 10 to 50 times more energy per floor space than a standard office building.”
And, of course, We the Abused are paying WAY more for FAR less water and electricity. And are starting to be cut off entirely - human sacrifices to feed The Beast.
Meanwhile, Big Tech incessantly hypes that “China will beat us to AI.” Unless we give obsequious acquiescence to their unlimited addition of ever-larger data centers (and everything else they demand).
Well, the United States has over 5,400 data centers already up-and-running. In a nation of 338 million people.
China currently only has about 450 data centers. In a nation of 1.4 billion people. So Big Tech’s breathless China propaganda also seems to be more than a little strained.
But wait - there’s more. There are in the US over 1,700 new data centers planned. Most of them MANY times larger than most of the existing ones. More from Google’s AI:
“Planned data centers are undergoing an unprecedented scale-up, transitioning from standalone 100-megawatt (MW) facilities to massive multi-gigawatt (GW) regional campuses. Driven by generative artificial intelligence, these facilities require immense power and physical footprints, triggering significant shifts in infrastructure design, energy regulations, and public policy.”
So the damage currently being done to our resources by these facilities? And the brutal price being shifted away from Big Tech to We the Abused? We ain’t seen nothing yet.
Which brings us to the nationwide build-up of the AI surveillance state. The far-and-away largest and most notorious private company partnering with governments to glean billions of our tax dollars from the buildup? The woefully misnamed Flock Safety.
There are some competitors to Flock. But as with most things Internet? There’s really only room for one of each thing.
Flock currently has contracts with over 12,000 communities in 49 states. Governments in big cities, small cities, towns and rural counties - all signed up with Flock to surveil We the Surveilled.
Flock publicly insists on referring to their wide array of surveillance equipment - and attending data absorption - merely as “license plate readers.” And they do scan and store about 20 billion plate grabs per month.
Except:
Flock Cameras Are Tracking More Than License Plates: Here’s Where All That Data Goes
Flock privately markets to governments and other prospective customers its ability to provide “people detection.” Including results for vague searches like “man in blue shirt and cowboy hat.” People - ain’t license plates.
Flock also offers AI drones that fly automated missions - live-streaming everything they see. 24-7 live video - ain’t license plates.
Flock is also recording audio - to go with the video. They advertise an “expanding sound library” their AI recognizes. Like “screams” and “distress” - which means their AI also processes human voices. License plates don’t make any noise.
Flock’s current two main cameras?:
“Flock Safety Falcon (ALPR): Focused on capturing rear license plates and vehicle context, providing clear images that can be converted into alphanumeric characters for database comparison.
“Flock Safety Condor (PTZ): A fixed-point, pan-tilt-zoom camera capable of remotely adjusting its view to capture live video and detailed images in public areas.”
All of this data Flock says they aren’t collecting? Is a whole lot more than the mere “license plate readers” We the Lied To are told are in the field.
All of this data Flock says they aren’t collecting? That Flock says they are not selling? Is for sale right here - via the Flock price sheet.
All of this data Flock says they aren’t collecting? Includes cameras delivering livestream video in at least one children’s gymnastics room. Which Flock employees have watched - and shared with prospective customers.
And at least one children’s playground. The video of which Flock accidentally made available to everyone. Oh: And no login was required. Which certainly makes it look like Flock doesn’t require one on the back end.
Ben Franklin famously wrote:
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
Nothing better demonstrates the atrocious miscalculation of sacrificing liberty for alleged safety? Than the 24-7 live-streaming of children.
How much safer do you feel your children are? Knowing that they’ve lost entirely their liberty to constant video surveillance? Accessible by hundreds if not thousands of adults - none of whom you’ve ever even met?
Talk about a TERRIBLE trade.
And, of course, all of this data Flock says they aren’t collecting? Needs to be stored somewhere.
Hence the mad rush to bring online these new, massive surveillance centers.
“Surveillance centers” - now makes a whole lot more sense than “data centers,” does it not
?