There’s been plenty of public debate about allowing the government to seek patterns in disparate databases-to “connect the dots”-to thwart terror attacks. One problem for investigators is that many of these databases, which store information such as private phone records and credit card statements, are closed to routine government scrutiny. The Information Awareness Office at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is attempting to demonstrate that private databases can safely be plumbed if the day comes when privacy laws are changed to allow access to them (see “Total Information Overload,” TR July/August 2003). If one DARPA-funded project at the Palo Alto Research Center in California is successful, it could result in technology that lets government intelligence analysts find patterns in data while forbidding access to details about individuals.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.