Pentagon seeks $30.3m for an AI lie detector that reads the body from afar
The Pentagon (discover more) wants $30.3 million over five years to build an AI lie detector that can read a person's body without touching them. Known as Polygraph+ or Polygraph Next, the program aims to "modernize federal polygraph and credibility assessment technologies," according to its budget request.
Key points from the proposal:
- The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) runs background checks for the federal government.
- Funds will be used for "standoff sensing" – taking physical readings from a person without attaching a device, along with AI and machine learning scoring.
- Tools will be used to vet staff and for "insider threat detection."
- The Pentagon has previously explored similar technology, testing prototypes in 2023.
Challenges and critiques:
Experts caution that adding AI to polygraphs doesn't necessarily improve accuracy. In fact, it may introduce more uncertainty into an already questionable process:
"Even if you have all the records in the world from polygraph tests, you don’t know whether those polygraph tests are right or not,” said Kyri Kotsoglou, a legal scholar.
Previous AI-driven lie detectors have also proven ineffective, with projects like iBorderCtrl and AVATAR fading away.
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