“I submit that if millions, or hundreds of millions of Americans are monitored by AI, not by humans, then humans are not ‘wittingly’ monitoring them.”
That’s only true with a runaway AI. If the AI is monitoring us in a fashion directed by its creator, owner, or spy agency user, then it is with their knowledge and consent.
A big question is wether all of our conversations are recorded in some accessible database. And another question is whether efforts to avoid this type of spying (such as strong encryption) results in being flagged and more targeted surveillance efforts. In other words, are they spying on everyone, universally, all of the time, without legal authorization?
My understanding is that various spy agencies bypass their nation’s laws by trading their spy data with their foreign counterparts. This would be like the CIA recording all of the phone conversations in Great Britain, and Great Britain recording all of the phone conversations in America, and then they access the data of the other agency in off-the-books arrangements.
If a human isn't in the loop for monitoring 100,000,000 people no human nor group of humans has direct knowledge (wit) of those conversations.
So technically he's not lying under oath, even if 100,000 of those peoples' conversations are flagged for further human action.
It depends on what wit the definition of is wit is...
My understanding is that various spy agencies bypass their nation’s laws by trading their spy data with their foreign counterparts. This would be like the CIA recording all of the phone conversations in Great Britain, and Great Britain recording all of the phone conversations in America, and then they access the data of the other agency in off-the-books arrangements.
Watch the movie “ Snowden” and you will see how the agencies gather data to destroy people. Don’t recall if he makes this connection, but wouldn’t be surprised that this slippery way to claim I didn’t do it, it depends on what the meaning of “ spying is, happens to be the way non protect the safety of your country is really carried out.
Paper trails are a thing of the past, its all electronic now in whatever form that can be captured, manipulated, and used.