# Why Human Informants Still Matter in the Age of AI Surveillance > Source: > Published: 2026-08-20 06:00:36+00:00 The most frightening thing about surveillance is not always the camera on the wall or the intelligence officer behind a desk. Sometimes it is the colleague who repeats your private joke, the neighbour who watches who visits your home, or the friend who suddenly asks too many careful questions. Recent research on Iran has examined the everyday culture of informing, … [Read more](https://smallwarsjournal.com/2026/08/20/why-human-informants-still-matter-in-the-age-of-ai-surveillance/) The post [Why Human Informants Still Matter in the Age of AI Surveillance](https://smallwarsjournal.com/2026/08/20/why-human-informants-still-matter-in-the-age-of-ai-surveillance/) appeared first on [Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University](https://smallwarsjournal.com).