A tech border wall? Trump administration says no

If a company’s proposal for President Trump’s border wall relies on artificial intelligence, drones and sensors — but leaves out a physical, tangible barrier — then the federal government is not interested.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials advised bidders this week that “technology alone would not meet the requirements of the solicitations,” according to an amendment on the government’s request for proposals.

The deadline was originally Wednesday but was extended to April 4 because of the high volume of applications received, an agency spokesman said.

The company said it wants to build a nonphysical barrier out of drones, artificial intelligence and sensors.

David Inserra, policy analyst for homeland security and cyberpolicy at the Heritage Foundation, a think thank that has a focus on defense policy, said combining a physical wall with technology would be the most effective barrier.

Quanergy, a company that makes lidar sensors, a laser version of radar that can detect objects, proposed using that technology and artificial intelligence either as a virtual wall or in conjunction with a physical wall or fence.

While advocates for virtual walls say they will reduce the cost of the project, the idea would not match Trump’s chief campaign promise of building a “great, great wall,” said Theresa Brown, director of immigration policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank.