Originally Posted by gsoltso

Set the BDO program aside for a second and think about the intuitions that you yourself have had in the past (seriously, take the BDO program out of the process for a moment). The impression I got from most of what I have seen and read so far about automation of basic screening process (not just in this case) is that the TSOs can be freed up to do the other parts of security. Some of this includes watching people for those that stand out - you and about 99% of us do this all day, everyday, everywhere. You get that sense of someone that you don't want to be near, you avoid them, many times subconsciously. Police Officers do it all day while on patrol, something sticks out, they (at least some of them do) go check out what is going on. I think that one problem with automating the system completely is losing that human element of intuition. We can program the crap out of computers, but until we have some pretty serious software breakthroughs, they are not going to have the same natural reaction to things that make us aware of someone that is outside of the norms and mores of the location. While I am all for automation as part of the process, I would always be more comfortable with some humans at the location (regardless of whether it remains TSA or some other form of security as many suggest). We have developed this internal "radar" over millenia, to ignore it is to deny an effective tool in the process.