From: tcmay@got.net 13-NOV-1995 02:25:05.47: At 11:40 PM 11/11/95, Michael Pierson wrote:

I wouldn't be surprised to learn of somebody like FinCEN using neural-net systems to do pattern analysis on funds transfers and the like, or the NRO or NSA investing research money into investigating the usefulness of NNs for image processing or for scanning raw ELIN SIGINT or COMINT data. In fact, I'd be quite surprised if they weren't.

[...] I recall reading of some contracts let out, and other RFCs, for AI programs for FinCEN use. Not surprising. (If I ran FinCEN, this is what I'd surely have a bunch of folks working on. Scary thought.) ------------------------ I find it interesting that FinCEN has a net link (at http://www.ustreas.gov/treasury/bureaus/fincen/fincen.html). I have heard about an IRS cash-tracking center in Detroit, where all those $100+ cash deposits/withdrawals get sent. They probably use similar setups for analysis, although with more of an individual focus. I have recently been contemplating how a private digital cash system (either national-currency based or private-currency based) would show up on such an analysis process. My suspicion is that it would do so via fewer known non-cash transfers. Cash transactions might actually increase, due to conversions between digital cash and normal cash. On the other hand, many of those using a private digital cash scheme may (like myself) tend to use mostly cash anyway. I am interested in hearing the thoughts of others on this subject. Particularly useful would be methods to stealth or spoof such a system; i.e., to either hide a private digital cash system from it, or to give it so many false positives that they couldn't distinguish what is real and what is not. I suggest that the latter would be easier (and would have other valuable applications). -Allen P.S. Does anyone know what is up with the extropians list? Down again, I suspect.