The US has spent billions over 25 years building a 'virtual wall' of surveillance towers along the southern border, promising to detect and apprehend crossers while saving lives. However, an MIT Technology Review investigation reveals that over a thousand people died in areas monitored by these towers without being reached or caught. Some died even under newly installed AI-powered systems designed to automatically detect individuals. The findings expose a humanitarian crisis and repeated failures in the virtual wall’s core security claims. The investigation highlights the gap between technological promises and real-world outcomes on the ground.

A discussion led by Mat Honan, editor in chief, James O'Donnell, senior AI reporter, and Eileen Guo, senior features and investigations reporter, examines these failures and shares stories of those who perished in the borderlands despite constant surveillance.