San Mateo County taxpayers got burned again by big government and flashy tech promises. The county dumped a whopping 12 million dollars into an AI surveillance system from billionaire Tom Siebel’s company C3 AI. Three years later, the cops are still waiting to see any real benefits from this expensive toy.
This is exactly what happens when government bureaucrats get starry-eyed over the latest Silicon Valley snake oil. They throw around taxpayer money like it grows on trees, chasing whatever trendy solution some smooth-talking tech executive is peddling. Meanwhile, hardworking families are struggling to pay their bills and taxes keep going up.
Tom Siebel made his fortune selling enterprise software and now runs C3 AI, another artificial intelligence company promising to revolutionize everything. The guy has donated millions to universities and won awards for his business success. But when it comes to delivering results for the people who actually paid for his system, he’s coming up short.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office even won some fancy award in 2023 for using this AI system. Awards from tech industry groups don’t mean much when the officers on the ground say the system isn’t helping them do their jobs better. It’s all about looking good on paper while real problems go unsolved.
This AI system was supposed to speed up investigations and make police work more efficient. Instead, it looks like another case of government officials getting fooled by big tech marketing. They probably got wined and dined by company executives who promised the moon and delivered a paperweight.
Twelve million dollars could have hired more police officers, bought new equipment, or improved training programs. Instead, it went to a tech company that apparently can’t deliver on its promises. This is why voters are fed up with government waste and poor decision-making by elected officials.
The people of San Mateo County deserve answers about how their tax money got wasted. They need accountability from the officials who approved this expensive experiment. Every dollar spent on failed tech projects is a dollar that could have gone to real public safety improvements.
This story shows exactly why Americans are losing trust in both government and big tech companies. When taxpayer money gets flushed down the drain on flashy gadgets that don’t work, it’s time for heads to roll and policies to change.
