Rhinestones and googly eyes on security cameras are the visible signs of a faculty protest at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Professors are using the decorations to object to artificial intelligence surveillance on campus.
Faculty members want a say in whether AI should be used to monitor their community.
Here's what to know
MIT considered contracting with Ambient.ai for live camera analysis that could flag possible threats for police, according to The Boston Globe. The institute's network includes about 4,600 cameras across its 168-acre campus in Cambridge, Mass.
The proposal raised concerns among faculty members about misidentification, access to video data, and the lack of community input. Some also questioned whether adding AI would make the campus safer.
The decorations do not interfere with the cameras' operation. Professors have been adding them weekly to draw attention to their objections.
"We had to come up with another way of having a more open and democratic dialogue around surveillance on campus," explained Catherine D'Ignazio, an associate professor whose work focuses on data literacy and urban science.
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More background
Daniel Shen, a doctoral candidate in electrical engineering and computer science and chief steward for the MIT Graduate Student Union, said the camera network has created a "chilling effect" for community members exercising free speech.
An institute presentation states that a senior MIT administrator must give written permission before using footage in student disciplinary matters. Shen said people already felt secure on campus before the extra cameras were added.
The debate also follows a deadly shooting at Brown University, where a Flock camera helped establish the gunman's location.
According to a university report cited by the Globe, Brown's camera count had reached roughly 1,950 by late August. A university-commissioned review, however, found that extra coverage might have sped up identification of the gunman but probably would not have stopped the shooting.
What's being done?
MIT has dropped its proposal for AI monitoring, a decision Glen Shor, MIT's treasurer and executive vice president, announced to faculty on Oct. 21, according to the Globe.
"MIT will not be using AI in any way to observe or analyze campus activity," Shor said. "Security camera footage plays an important role in helping the MIT Police understand and resolve safety issues and incidents such as theft, vandalism, and property damage that have been brought to their attention."
Before the announcement, MIT's Graduate Student Council submitted a resolution asking administrators to consult students about AI surveillance and provide research supporting its adoption.
Still, MIT is keeping its security cameras.
At Brown, a university spokesperson told the Globe that campus safety investments since 2014 totaled $65 million. Its safety measures do not include AI.
Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, questioned the rationale for continually expanding surveillance.
"If crime goes down, you say it is working, and if crime goes up, you say you need even more cameras," Guariglia said. "The way you make people safer is by addressing deeper-seated social issues that cause violence."
Where can I learn more?
MIT's faculty members aren't alone in questioning how cameras and AI are used to monitor people. These stories examine campus cameras, a sheriff's surveillance contract, workplace monitoring, and privacy claims involving Meta glasses.
• An Illinois college paid to remove Flock cameras, but workers in unmarked vehicles uncovered them.
• An Arizona sheriff ended a Flock camera contract, warning of an "AI-driven surveillance state."
• A New Jersey worker says her employer's AI photographed her at home every three minutes.
• A class action involving Meta AI glasses now includes bystanders alleging privacy violations.
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