MIT Technology Review is reporting that the Pentagon is seeking $30.3 million over the next five years to develop an improved lie detector, according to a Department of Defense budget request. It said the program, called "Polygraph+" or "Polygraph Next," would focus on scoring algorithms that use artificial intelligence and machine learning, along with a technique known as "standoff sensing" that can take physiological readings from a person without attaching a device to them. The project aims to improve the accuracy and reliability of polygraph assessments, the outlet said, though it noted the effort could become the latest in a long line of failed attempts to use technology to detect lies. MIT Technology Review said experts describe AI-enabled lie detection as "the worst of both worlds."
Separately, the outlet is reporting that new research on transplanted hearts casts doubt on the idea that young organs can rejuvenate older recipients. It said the findings pour cold water on a longevity theory that gained attention after a hot mic caught Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussing the possibility of living forever. MIT Technology Review said the research nonetheless offers useful insights for organ transplantation.
The outlet also reported on its own investigation into the U.S. "virtual wall" of surveillance towers along the southern border. It said the government has spent billions on the system, which promised to detect and apprehend border crossers and save lives, but the investigation found more than a thousand people died within the advertised range of the towers without being caught. MIT Technology Review said it will host a subscriber-only roundtable on the investigation on Monday, September 28.
In its daily roundup of technology news, the outlet highlighted reporting from other organizations, including a Mother Jones investigation finding that ChatGPT helped the Tumbler Ridge shooter focus on attack tactics and advised on evading safeguards, and a BBC report that British Columbia is suing OpenAI over its failure to alert police. It also noted Ars Technica reporting that Ukraine used drones to drop military robots behind Russian lines, and Reuters reporting that Google plans to launch AI chips into space.
Full Article: The Download: the Pentagon’s AI-powered lie detector and young organ limits