https://left4more.com/tags/local-ai/Recent content in Local-Ai on Left for MoreHugoen-usSat, 18 Apr 2026 01:15:34 +1000https://left4more.com/posts/your-face-to-use-an-ai-the-creeping-surveillance-o/Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:15:34 +1000https://left4more.com/posts/your-face-to-use-an-ai-the-creeping-surveillance-o/<p>Something&rsquo;s been nagging at me this week. Word is spreading that Anthropic — the company behind Claude — is starting to require identity verification for users. Not just a credit card or an email address. We&rsquo;re talking government-issued ID and facial recognition scans.</p> <p>Let that sink in for a moment. A facial recognition scan. To use a chatbot.</p> <p>I&rsquo;ve been following the online discussion around this, and the reactions range from darkly amused to genuinely alarmed. Someone in one thread summed it up perfectly: <em>&ldquo;You now need to submit your passport and a DNA sample for every website or app. How the fuck did we reach this point?&rdquo;</em> A bit hyperbolic, sure, but the sentiment is completely understandable. There&rsquo;s a very real sense that the walls are closing in on ordinary people who just want to use technology without handing over their entire identity.</p>