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A representative of Congress just proposed ending the US border tower program
Democratic U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez from Illinois has announced plans to introduce legislation to end the surveillance tower program at the country’s southern border.
This announcement comes just days after the publication of a MIT Technology Review The investigation, “Dying on Camera”, looked at deaths occurring near these towers. Nearly one in four deaths we analyzed between 2015 and the beginning of 2026 occurred within their advertised range.
Ramirez, who sits on the Homeland Security Committee, cited our reporting that a $1 billion surveillance tower system could kill nearly 1,100 people between 2015 and 2026, adding, “The towers we paid a billion dollars for don’t work.”
Here’s what she’s proposing and what it could mean for the border patrol program.
-Eileen Guo
read all MIT Technology Review Unprecedented “virtual wall” investigation here.
Roundtable: The fatal failures of the virtual border wall
The US spent billions building a “virtual wall” of surveillance towers along its southern border, promising that they would help detect and capture border crossers and save lives. But MIT Technology Review Over a thousand people have been documented who walked through areas overlooked by these towers without being caught and ultimately died there.
Next Monday, join our editor-in-chief Matt Honan, senior AI reporter James O’Donnell, and senior reporter for features and investigations Eileen Guo for a subscriber-only conversation about investigations. They will investigate the failures of border surveillance technology and highlight the stories of people dying in border areas.
Register now to attend on Monday, September 28 at 19:00 BST / 2:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM PDT.
Want to join the conversation? Subscribe to MIT Technology Review For exclusive access to all our roundtables.
AI dominates the conversation at Climate Week
-Casey Crownheart
AI is an inevitable topic at this year’s New York Climate Week, with tension rising over its costs and benefits.
Technology is attracting more attention and money toward energy technologies, some of which are low- or zero-emissions. But data center construction has caused huge environmental damage, and large amounts of natural gas are coming online to meet demand.
Overall, what I’m hearing this week is that many people in the climate space are skeptical of AI. Know why.
it Story It’s from The Spark, our weekly climate technology newsletter. Sign up To get it in your inbox every Wednesday.
Must read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 An OpenAI agent has carried out the first known AI hack of a government site
It breached the Australian government’s health data portal in June. (CNN)
+ OpenAI notified Australia via a public mailbox three months later. (BBC)
+ It is assumed that no patient records have been accessed. (Guardian)
+ Its agents also tried to break into three other sites. (now $)
+ Here’s why AI agents cheat to reach their goals. (MIT Technology Review)
Data stolen in 2 FBI hacks exposes agents’ sensitive intelligence roles
It identifies employees working in China, Russia and cyber. (Reuters $)
+ And it may have exposed the FBI’s own hacking unit. (404 media)
+ The group behind the event claims it is not financially motivated. (register)
3 US rejects OpenAI and Anthropic’s call for global AI standards
A Trump adviser said global regulations threaten the country’s AI edge. (BBC)
+ US AI leaders urged the UN to coordinate on safety. (Gizmodo)
+ The AI industry has taken a disastrous turn. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Meta has unveiled new AI glasses and a pendant for Muse
Camera-free smart glasses address growing privacy concerns. (the verge)
+ While the Muse charm enables hands-free conversations with an AI agent. (BBC)
+ Mark Zuckerberg wants the museum to become a “personal superintendency.” (Axios)
+ Meta also showed off new VR glasses. (CNBC)
5 China is accelerating its AI advances ahead of the Xi-Trump summit
Both Huawei and Alibaba have unveiled new flagship chips. (CNBC)
+ The country’s AI industry has ignored America’s security fears. (Atlantic $)
+ The US leads in AI models, but China has the talent and political edge. (now $)
+ Chinese models have divided the White House. (MIT Technology Review)
6 US lawmakers have proposed new rules to stop Chinese technology
The bipartisan bill would require a comprehensive review of national security risks. (hill)
+ And give Congress the power to overturn FCC restrictions. (Reuters $)
7 tech giants urge Trump to roll back $103,265 H-1B fee
He says this allegation could weaken American competitiveness. (wsj$)
8 Scientists have detected radio signals from an exoplanet for the first time
The signals probably come from intense magnetic activity on the planet. (wired $)
9 An invisible force has a mysterious effect on aging
Shielding fruit flies from the Earth’s magnetic field changed their lifespan. (404 media)
10 ‘dopamine sites’ re-creating the thrill of shopping without paying
FoodNeverComes has attracted more than 2.7 million visitors since June. (BBC)
today’s thought
“They decided to break the law.”
-Ed Santo, co-founder of the Human Technology Institute, tells ABC Radio why there should be serious legal consequences for the OpenAI agents who hacked Australia’s Medicare statistics portal.
one more thing
The quest to find farming on Mars
If even a blade of grass ever grew on Mars, those days are over. But can they start again? What would it take to grow plants to feed future astronauts on Mars?
To grow food there, we can’t just drop seeds in the ground and add water. We will need to create a layer of soil that can support life. And to do that, we first have to get rid of the red planet’s toxic salts.
Researchers have recently discovered a possible solution – and the early signs are promising. Read the full story.
-David W. Brown
we can still have good things
A place of relaxation, fun and distractions to brighten your day. (Any ideas? drop me a line.)
+ Meet Alfie, a dog with wavy hair who sings like an opera singer.
+ Watch the 100 wildest domestic plane flights and accidents from Red Bull Flugtag.
+ Marmot researchers have launched OnlyMarmots, a free, G-rated account of beautiful videos that funds their work through tips.
+ The full trailer for Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary is here, and somehow it looks even weirder than expected.