Argentina developing Minority Report-like system for future crime prediction

Argentina’s security forces have launched an unusual proposal to forecast future crimes using artificial intelligence, similar to the sci-fi thriller Minority Report.


Argentina’s government is using artificial intelligence to anticipate criminal activity, similar to the futuristic technology depicted in the film, which stars Tom Cruise as a police officer in a society where crimes are halted before they occur.

However, this has raised concerns about possible dangers to citizens’ rights.

Javier Milei, the country’s far-right president, has formed the Artificial Intelligence Applied to Security Unit, which, according to the legislation, will use machine-learning algorithms to examine historical crime data and predict future criminal activity.

Furthermore, the unit intends to utilize facial recognition software to identify “wanted persons,” monitor social media, and examine real-time security camera footage for suspected activity.

The Ministry of Security claims the new unit will improve its ability to “detect potential threats, track criminal group movements, and anticipate disturbances.”

However, this Minority Report-style resolution has disturbed human rights organizations, which are concerned that this technology would subject particular socioeconomic groups to unwarranted surveillance.

Concerns have also been expressed about who will have access to the data and the scope of that access.

Amnesty International has expressed concern about the potential violation of human rights, warning that “large-scale surveillance affects freedom of expression by encouraging self-censorship or deterring individuals from sharing ideas or criticisms due to fears of constant monitoring by security forces,” according to Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.

Similarly, the Argentine Center for Studies on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information warned that similar technologies have traditionally been used to “profile academics, journalists, politicians, and activists,” posing a serious threat to privacy if not properly regulated.

President Milei, a far-right libertarian, took power late last year and promised a tough stance on crime. Patricia Bullrich, his security minister, is said to want to imitate El Salvador’s problematic prison model, and the administration appears to be militarizing security policies, according to the Center for Legal and Social Studies.


The administration has also adopted a severe stance on protests, sending riot police to disperse demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets from close range and threatening to fine parents who bring children to marches.

The installation of this AI unit has sparked special outrage in a country with a history of state repression. During the violent 1976-83 dictatorship, an estimated 30,000 people were forcefully vanished, with some being thrown alive from planes during “death flights.” Thousands were tortured, and hundreds of children were kidnapped at this time.

According to a Ministry of Security source, the new agency will function under the existing legislative framework, which includes the Personal Information Protection Act.

The section will use AI, data analytics, and machine learning to identify criminal patterns and trends in the ministry’s security databases.