How America’s $Billions in Virtual Border Walls Failed to Deliver
For 25 years, the United States has invested billions of dollars in a “virtual wall” of surveillance towers along its southern border. The technology was promoted as a way to detect and apprehend people crossing the border while potentially saving lives. But a groundbreaking investigation by MIT Technology Review reveals a far more troubling record. The reporting documented more than 1,000 people who were affected by the system’s deadly failures, raising urgent questions about the promises, oversight, and real-world consequences of AI-powered border surveillance. In this roundtable session, experts examine how the virtual wall was built, why it failed to meet expectations, and what its deployment means for the future of automated security systems. Listen to the full discussion or watch the session below.