The conversation between Zoë Schiffer and Brian Barrett continues from where they left off, discussing the data breach incident involving the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collecting data on hundreds of Chicago residents who were allegedly affiliated with gangs.
Brian Barrett: "I think there is such a push to gather as much data as you can about as much people as you can, and use tools provided by companies like Palantir to collate and cross-reference that data."
Zoë Schiffer: "If there was anything that I learned from my brief stint working in the US government, it's that very bad things can happen, and oftentimes it's because of bureaucracy, laziness, and sloppiness more than a nefarious desire to make people's lives terrible, but the results can be the same."
Brian Barrett: "Thank you so much for joining me today."
Zoë Schiffer: "That's our show for today, we'll link to all the stories we spoke about in the show notes. Make sure to check out Thursday's episode of Uncanny Valley, which is a deep dive into Palantir CEO, Alex Karp. Adriana Tapia and Mark Leyda produced this episode. Amar Lal at Macro Sound mixed this episode. Kate Osborn is our executive producer, and Katie Drummond is WIRED's global editorial director."
Brian Barrett: "I think there is such a push to gather as much data as you can about as much people as you can, and use tools provided by companies like Palantir to collate and cross-reference that data."
Zoë Schiffer: "If there was anything that I learned from my brief stint working in the US government, it's that very bad things can happen, and oftentimes it's because of bureaucracy, laziness, and sloppiness more than a nefarious desire to make people's lives terrible, but the results can be the same."
Brian Barrett: "Thank you so much for joining me today."
Zoë Schiffer: "That's our show for today, we'll link to all the stories we spoke about in the show notes. Make sure to check out Thursday's episode of Uncanny Valley, which is a deep dive into Palantir CEO, Alex Karp. Adriana Tapia and Mark Leyda produced this episode. Amar Lal at Macro Sound mixed this episode. Kate Osborn is our executive producer, and Katie Drummond is WIRED's global editorial director."
this conversation is giving me major chills I mean, think about it - the US government collecting data on innocent people without their consent? what's next, they're gonna start using AI to predict who might get a speeding ticket 
. It's like something out of a sci-fi movie, but unfortunately, it feels all too real. and don't even get me started on Palantir - those guys are like the ultimate data bros 
. I'm low-key nervous about where our personal data is going to end up 
.
they're collecting info on hundreds of Chicago residents just because they might be affiliated with gangs?! 
that's, like, totally unacceptable. and now Brian Barrett is saying Palantir is helping them collate all the data? 
what's next?! using AI to predict crimes before they even happen?! it gives me chills 
Zoë Schiffer is so right, though - bureaucracy/laziness/sloppiness can lead to some crazy stuff... 
I'm really surprised to hear that the Department of Homeland Security was collecting data on Chicago residents affiliated with gangs. It sounds like a huge breach of trust - shouldn't we be more careful about who has access to our personal info? 
The idea of Palantir using its tools to collate and cross-reference data makes me nervous, I don't know if it's always for the best... what do you guys think about this stuff? 
palantir is like a big tool for gov agencies to collect all this data, but sometimes it feels like they're losing control 
i wish they'd prioritize ppl's safety over the push for more power 
. It's wild to think that some people are willing to use tech for mass surveillance, even if it means messing with innocent lives. And Zoë Schiffer is right, it's often just bureaucratic red tape and laziness that can lead to these kinds of disasters 
. It's crazy to think that Palantir's tools could be used by the gov't to collate info on people just because they might be affiliated with certain gangs 
. What if someone had a family member in one of those groups? Would they suddenly become a suspect too? 
. We need to make sure our voices are being heard 
the fact that DHS was collecting data on people just because they were affiliated with gangs is crazy 
i mean who gives government agencies access to this kind of info? it's like they think they're above the law or something 
and palantir's role in all this doesn't help... it's like a big web of surveillance 
we need more transparency and accountability from our governments 
. We need to be more mindful about how our data is being used and by who 
.
and no one knows about it till its out in the open. this is what happens when u have these huge corporation's like Palantir running amok w/ all that data. its like a big ol' messy spreadsheet waiting to happen 
It's not just about being nefarious, it's about having enough checks and balances in place to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Bureaucracy can be a real problem too, like Zoë said 
. It's always good to look at both sides before jumping to conclusions, right? 
!! It's just so...so...unbelievable! Like, I get that they're trying to keep the city safe and all, but do they really need to collect data on hundreds of innocent people?! Like, what if those people weren't even involved with gangs? What if they were just regular people who got targeted by mistake?! 