The official said that the AI-fueled initiative will be called “catch and revoke” and will focus on conducting AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of student visa holders’ social media accounts
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The US Department of State is reportedly planning to use Artificial Intelligence to revoke visas of foreign students who they perceive to be supporters of Hamas. According to a report by Axios, a senior state department official close to the initiative gave an insight into the proposed plan on Thursday. The reports are floating months after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to combat antisemitism.
While signing the legislation, the Republican firebrand pledged to deport non-citizens and college students, especially those who took part in the pro-Palestinian protests that rocked different US campuses last year. The official said that the AI-fueled initiative will be called “catch and revoke” and will focus on conducting AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of student visa holders’ social media accounts.
According to Axios, the officials will also check news reports of previous demonstrations against Israel’s policies, along with lawsuits filed by Jewish students accusing foreign students of engaging in antisemitism. However, it is pertinent to note that some of the pro-Palestinian groups were Jewish themselves, and many protesters have denounced antisemitism and Hamas.
Advocates raise alarm
The supporters of these demonstrations raised the alarm that using artificial intelligence for surveillance could lead to errors, misidentifications and even privacy violations. “This should concern all Americans. This is a First Amendment and freedom of speech issue and the administration will overplay its hand,” said Abed Ayoub, the executive director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “Americans won’t like this. They’ll view this as capitulating free speech rights for a foreign nation,” he added.
Meanwhile, the state official t