Computer vision research feeds surveillance tech as patent links spike 5×

A Nature study analyzing over 19,000 computer vision papers and 23,000 citing patents finds a strong link between academic research and surveillance applications, with 90% of papers and 86% of patents extracting human-related data and often using obfuscating language that frames people as objects. The authors argue this normalization of targeting humans is widespread, while an accompanying commentary contends that corporate, military, and policing interests drive these outcomes and calls for policies to disrupt the pipeline supplying surveillance systems.