Larry Ellison: AI-based surveillance system could monitor citizens

But that's just the beginning of our surveillance dystopia, says Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle. He said AI will usher in a new era of surveillance that, he sardonically, will ensure “citizens put their best foot forward.”

Ellison made the remarks earlier this week during a meeting of financial analysts at Oracle, where he spoke to investors about the future of AI-powered surveillance tools.

Ellison said that in the future, AI would be used to constantly monitor and analyze huge surveillance systems such as security cameras, police body cameras, doorbell cameras and dashboard cameras in vehicles.

“We're going to have surveillance,” Ellison said. “Every police officer is constantly being monitored, and if there's a problem, the AI will flag that problem and report it to the appropriate person. Citizens will be on their best behavior because we're constantly recording and reporting everything that happens.”

Ellison also expects AI drones to replace police cars in chases. “You just have a drone follow the car,” Ellison said. “In the age of autonomous drones, it's easy to do.” He did not say whether those drones would broadcast the chases on the news.

Ellison's company Oracle, like almost every company these days, is aggressively pursuing opportunities in the AI industry, with several projects already in the works, including one in partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX.

According to Bloomberg, Ellison is the sixth richest man in the world with a net worth of $157 billion.

Ellison's children have made names for themselves in the film industry. His daughter Megan Ellison founded her production company Annapurna Pictures in 2011 and his son David Ellison is set to become CEO of Paramount following the merger with Skydance Media.