Some might believe we’re already living in George Orwell‘s 1984, but if you’re on the fence, consider what Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison had to say about a not-too-distant future.
“We’re going to have supervision,” Ellison told investors during a recent Oracle financial analysts meeting, according to Business Insider, which said he “gleefully” delivered the news.
Regarding coupling AI and surveillance cameras, the tech giant — and the sixth richest man in the world — added that “citizens will be on their best behavior.”
He explained, “Every police officer is going to be supervised at all times, and if there’s a problem, AI will … report it to the appropriate person. Citizens will be on their best behavior because we are constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on.”
Such systems are already in place in China, with infractions from jaywalking to more serious offenses logged — and punishments meted out — thanks to near ubiquitous facial recognition systems.
The sticky wicket, of course, is the United States of America is not Communist China.
Still, Ellison extolled the virtues of a constant surveillance state, positing it would also eliminate the need for potentially dangerous police chases. “It’s very simple in the age of autonomous drones. … You just have a drone follow the car.”