Nancy Mace sees AI as a chance to improve border security: ‘A lot of opportunity’

May 26, 2023 at 06:00

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is calling on the federal government to use artificial intelligence technology to better secure the southwestern border.
On one front, she said, AI could help better collect "biometrics of everyone that comes across the border, especially when we're talking about by land and illegally.
"I think that that kind of technology could be used when you're driving through the border.
… Using AI, using the advances in photography and video, AI could actually help identify who those individuals are as well.
"There's just a lot of opportunity there to do that, especially with people crossing illegally into our country, when you're using biometrics and comparing it against a … terrorism watchlist.
I think AI can make that those matches happen a lot faster, too," Mace added.
"I actually met with border patrol this week and looked at what they're doing from a biometrics and cyber kind of standpoint as well," Mace said.
"And any border patrol folks that will meet with us and talk to us about technology, we want to have that meeting.
If you're using multiple databases or multiple galleries to search for someone's biometrics when they're coming through the border … AI will make that process better, faster."
"We do use AI in different agencies here at the federal level," Mace said.
"There’s some really great opportunity to find abuse and waste and fraud in the federal government.
But, at the same time, you know, it can be abused, and that's where we want to make sure that consumers are protected."
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