Migrant deaths persist beside border AI towers; billion-dollar effect questioned

A year-long joint investigation by MIT Technology Review and Times of San Diego found that at least 138 migrants' remains were discovered within the coverage range of surveillance cameras on the California border over the past four years. A topographical analysis estimated that more than half of these remains were found where a camera would have a clear, unobstructed view of a person. More than 120 surveillance towers now stand along the California border, built by contractors including Anduril, at an overall cost of more than a billion dollars. Anduril said in 2024 that its towers directly contributed to saving lives and stopping drugs. The investigation leaves two possibilities unresolved: the system failed to detect people in distress, or it detected them and officials offered no response.