Copyright Boulder Daily Camera

CU’s new crowd monitoring technology is ripe for abuse Gee, what could possibly go wrong? CU is installing crowd monitoring cameras and AI software at Folsom Field in response to bad behavior by the student section. That’s a reasonable goal, but the obvious opportunities to abuse the technology would be irresistible to Kristi Noem and ICE. I asked an AI tool about the status of research in AI applications for lip reading. It’s already 90% accurate. The technology to take surveillance camera imagery and identify most people already exists, as does the capability to instantly check a target’s criminal record, immigration status, etc. Put it all together, and it’s almost too easy to identify targets in a crowd and track them down. As soon as Noem hears about CU’s new toy, she will demand real-time access to it. If recent history repeats itself, CU will be compelled to knuckle under or risk retaliation from the Trump administration. I hope CU decides to reverse this decision. There is nothing CU could say to convince me that there will be reasonable protections from abusing the technology. I have to wonder if the reason CU won’t disclose who’s paying for it is because it’s a grant from the Department of Homeland Security. Paul Schultz, Gunbarrel ‘Back to the basics’ is part of MAGA narrative As a longtime Boulder resident, I’m skeptical of a recent mailer urging us to “get Boulder back to the basics.” Sounds pragmatic, right? Who doesn’t want economic vitality, public safety and fiscal stewardship? But what exactly are we being asked to “return to?” “Back to basics” echoes a broader political refrain we are all too familiar with in 2025; one that’s being used to signal longing for a past that felt simpler and safer — even if it never existed. That “past” may have felt secure to some, but to others it meant exclusion, invisibility or outright harm. We have to ask: Whose memories are we returning to? Are those memories even accurate? And whose realities are we erasing by “returning”? Boulder is not the same city it was 10, 20 or 50 years ago. We are more diverse, more complex and more interconnected than ever — in a world that mirrors those same characteristics. If we want economic vitality, let’s talk about housing stability and living wages. If we want public safety, let’s invest in mental health and community care. If we want fiscal responsibility, let’s be honest about what it takes to build — and fund — a city where everyone belongs. “Back to basics” may sound appealing, but, for me, it has an eerie resemblance to the “Make America Great Again” narrative. For young people, immigrants, people of color and LGBTQ+ folks — whose rights are being dismantled by white Christian nationalists — signaling that we want to turn back the clock on progress is more evidence that they aren’t safe and can’t be successful here. Boulder doesn’t need to return to the past; we need to build a future that is rooted in reality — not rosy memories — which includes all of us. Joni Teter, Boulder Jenny Robins is the kind of leader we need I have called Boulder home for more than 50 years. My father served our community as both a City Council member and a County Commissioner, and I have carried forward that tradition by raising my family here, working with nonprofits, and serving on city and private boards. Boulder is in my blood, and like so many of us who love this community, I want thoughtful, effective leaders guiding our future. That is why I am supporting Jenny Robbins for City Council. I’ve worked with Jenny on the PLAY Boulder Foundation board, on the Chamber’s Community Advisory Board, where she serves as co-chair, and in service as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. In every role, Jenny shows an extraordinary ability to listen deeply, ask the right questions, and then turn ideas into action. She doesn’t just talk about problems, she studies them, digs in and works to solve them. She also has a gift for bringing people together. Jenny recognizes others’ talents, organizes effectively and inspires enthusiasm. She leads with both resolve and compassion, bringing people together to move Boulder forward — exactly the kind of leadership we need today. Angie Jeffords, Boulder