IRS using artificial intelligence to make sure people aren't playing the system
(CBS DETROIT) — Your 2023 taxes are due in a few weeks, and now the Internal Revenue Service is using a new artificial intelligence tool to make sure people aren't playing the system.
While it could come in handy to stop tax evaders, lawmakers are raising concerns over invasions of privacy and even spying.
The latest information is that House Republicans are looking into whether the IRS is using AI to spy on people.
House Republicans say they have reason to believe the IRS and Department of Justice are monitoring millions of Americans' private transactions, bank accounts and financial information without legal process using an AI-powered system.
CBS News Detroit spoke to an AI researcher, Dan Faggella, to get his take on this.
He said the growth of AI in the private sector is monumental and will only continue to grow. He added that the trend isn't going away, but it'll take a while until people accept this technology.
Faggella said the IRS AI technology will find commonalities and patterns within taxpayers' information and that this technology already exists in some aspects of finance.
"This kind of screening for insurance fraud, or if you're doing a money transfer somewhere, it's very likely that this technology is being used on that right now. So, in that context, nobodies up in arms about it," said Faggella. "I think the big question here from a policy standpoint is: is that drawing on data that was never granted by the citizens or is in some way against the law?"
Faggella said the integration of AI will happen slowly.
He understands there is a fear that revolves around this, but he added that this is the way of the future, so people are going to need to catch on and embrace it.
"We've seen a really consistent drumroll in the last 18 months of more and more folks concerned with how big the next leaps forward and capability might be, and we might need to get on the same page at an international level in how we're developing this, so what can a person on the street do?" said Faggella. "I think follow the technology and see where it's headed, but I do think there's likely to be a broader international vision around what are we turning into here."
