virtual border wall

A roundtable discussion is examining how the virtual border wall—surveillance technology deployed along the US border instead of physical barriers—has failed, with reports linking the shortfalls to deaths of migrants. The conversation focuses on why digital surveillance systems have not delivered the safety or control their backers promised, and who bears responsibility for the human cost.

MIT Technology Review has published a roundtable marking 25 years of America's AI-powered 'virtual border wall', arguing the surveillance system has a record of deadly failures yet continues to receive funding. The discussion brings together reporting on how automated monitoring along the US border has contributed to deaths, and questions why lawmakers keep backing a system with such a poor track record.