surveillance industry

Classified budget estimates indicate the National Security Agency is paying billions of dollars to test artificial intelligence models, according to a new report. The spending suggests US intelligence agencies are moving aggressively to evaluate advanced AI systems, raising questions among readers about surveillance uses, oversight of classified AI programs, and how government testing compares with private industry efforts.

Walmart has pledged that it will not use shoppers' personal data to set individualized prices. The commitment, reported by retail industry outlets, addresses growing consumer and regulator concern that retailers could use purchase histories and personal information to charge different customers different prices for the same products. It positions the retailer as taking a public stance on data-driven pricing practices.

Ocean surveillance startup Quartermaster has raised $140 million in a new funding round, according to an exclusive report by TechCrunch. The company builds technology for monitoring activity at sea, a field drawing growing interest from governments and industry amid concerns over illegal fishing, shipping security and maritime domain awareness. Details on investors and valuation were not disclosed in the initial report.

Health and agricultural authorities are working to combat an outbreak of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae infest the wounds of warm-blooded animals. The parasite, largely controlled in the Americas for decades through sterile insect techniques, poses a serious threat to livestock and wildlife. Control efforts typically involve surveillance, animal treatment and releasing sterile flies to break the reproduction cycle.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is purchasing robot dogs from Boston Dynamics under a $1.3 million contract. The deal puts the quadruped robots, best known for industrial and research uses, into the hands of a federal immigration enforcement agency, a pairing likely to spark debate over the militarisation of police and border enforcement technology.