AI Cops and Digital Decoys: The Rise of Pre-Crime Personas
Imagine a future where police don’t knock on your door; they slide into your DMs pretending to be a lonely baker or a 14-year-old gamer. That future is already here.
AI-generated personas are being deployed by U.S. law enforcement to pose as college protesters, sex workers, and minors, without making a single arrest to date. A startup called Massive Blue is selling “Overwatch,” a tool that generates lifelike characters to lure suspects across platforms like Discord and Signal.
Funded with anti-trafficking grants, these bots blur legal boundaries by targeting vaguely defined “radicals” with no public transparency. Consider what this reveals:
- Overwatch bots mimic real people, complete with fake backstories.
- Personas include “AI pimp,” “protester,” and “child trafficking bait.”
- No arrests, despite $360K+ in taxpayer-funded contracts.
As we race to digitize safety, we risk automating bias and surveillance. When AI merges with undercover policing and skips judicial oversight, who gets protected—and who gets profiled?
Read the full article on Wired.
----
💡 If you enjoyed this content, be sure to download my new app for a unique experience beyond your traditional newsletter.
This is one of many short posts I share daily on my app, and you can have real-time insights, recommendations and conversations with my digital twin via text, audio or video in 28 languages! Go to my PWA at app.thedigitalspeaker.com and sign up to take our connection to the next level! 🚀
If you are interested in hiring me as your futurist and innovation speaker, feel free to complete the below form.
Thanks for your inquiry
We have sent you a copy of your request and we will be in touch within 24 hours on business days.
If you do not receive an email from us by then, please check your spam mailbox and whitelist email addresses from @thedigitalspeaker.com.
In the meantime, feel free to learn more about The Digital Speaker here.
Or read The Digital Speaker's latest articles here.
Dr Mark van Rijmenam
Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, widely known as The Digital Speaker, isn’t just a #1-ranked global futurist; he’s an Architect of Tomorrow who fuses visionary ideas with real-world ROI. As a global keynote speaker, Global Speaking Fellow, recognized Global Guru Futurist, and 5-time author, he ignites Fortune 500 leaders and governments worldwide to harness emerging tech for tangible growth.
Recognized by Salesforce as one of 16 must-know AI influencers , Dr. Mark brings a balanced, optimistic-dystopian edge to his insights—pushing boundaries without losing sight of ethical innovation. From pioneering the use of a digital twin to spearheading his next-gen media platform Futurwise, he doesn’t just talk about AI and the future—he lives it, inspiring audiences to take bold action. You can reach his digital twin via WhatsApp at: +1 (830) 463-6967.
