How police use AI to hunt drug dealers on Instagram

New York state's top cops want to use machine-learning algorithms to detect drug dealers on social media networks like Instagram, a trend that "has become a severe problem in recent years," according to researchers from the University of Rochester and the New York Attorney General's office. Using social media to sell drugs began years ago and continues to this day. Newer networks like Tinder have become especially popular with drug dealers because they offer both sellers and customers a deal in close proximity. All of the networks rely on manual user reports to remove the illegal content in what has largely been a losing battle. The New York Attorney General's office co-authored new research on algorithms meant to examine millions of Instagram posts, spotlight drug dealers, and only then pass the suspects on to human officers for further investigation.