Supercomputers for AI and the proliferation of commercial spyware

Safe Mode Podcast

A growing industry exists today that provides governments with highly advanced tools to surveil their opponents. While this industry has become personified by Israel’s NSO Group, it in fact goes far beyond this one firm. The commercial spyware industry is growing rapidly, posing major human rights concerns and exposing dissidents, journalists and members of civil society to highly intrusive surveillance. Rasha Abdul Rahim leads Amnesty Tech, an organization that is on the front lines of documenting how spyware is being abused, and sits down with host Elias Groll to discuss her work. FedScoop reporter Rebecca Heilweil also joins the show to discuss how the U.S. government hopes its supercomputers can be put to work in the AI revolution.