IRS Faces Investigation Over Use of AI to Possibly Spy on US Taxpayers

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) launched an investigation into whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is using artificial intelligence (AI) to allegedly spy on American taxpayers. Republicans on the panel sent letters to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland this week, saying that they are concerned about reports that AI is being used for surveillance purposes, according to a news release issued on March 21. Last year, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said that he plans to use AI go after potential tax cheats and to aid the tax revenue agency’s efforts in processing tax returns. But Mr. Jordan and Republicans wrote that they “have reason to believe” that the IRS and Department of Justice (DOJ) are “actively monitoring millions of Americans’ private transactions, bank accounts, and related financial information—without any legal process—using an AI-powered system,” adding that it is tantamount to a “warrantless financial surveillance is highly concerning and raises serious doubts about the federal government’s respect for Americans’ fundamental civil liberties.”...