Rights advocates raised the alarm, including over free speech concerns, on Thursday after it was reported that the U.S. State Department will use artificial intelligence to revoke the visas of foreign students who it perceives as supporters of Palestinian Hamas militants.
The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protects freedom of speech and assembly. Free speech advocates like the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and pro-Palestinian groups said AI should not be relied upon for assessments related to the decades-old and nuance-filled Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Axios cited senior State Department officials to report that an AI-fueled “Catch and Revoke” effort will include AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of student visa holders’ social media accounts.
