Person of Interest2011

Arthur Claypool:
After 9/11, the government had everyone and their cat trying to build a system that could watch everything.

Harold Finch:
They came to you as well.

Arthur Claypool:
Yes. I told them the only way they could achieve what they wanted was to build something that not only watched, but understood what it was watching.

Harold Finch:
An AI.

Arthur Claypool:
I know you always said artificial intelligence was a fool's errand, Harold, but I was this close.

Harold Finch:
Close?

Arthur Claypool:
To making Samaritan operational. Truth is, I couldn't get it to work. I mean, I could've, if those pinhead bureaucrats would have just given me a few more weeks. I know I could have cracked it.

Harold Finch:
And that's when Congress shut you down.

Arthur Claypool:
Well, not just us. All the programs. Stellar Wind, Tides, Genysis, Futuremap, Genoa. Within six months, they were all gone. They came for Samaritan February 25, 2005. For fear of "Violating civil liberties," or so they said.

Harold Finch:
And you thought there was another reason.

Arthur Claypool:
The government wanted a system, Harold. They weren't just going to give up. They let Congress shut us down, all except for that piece of crap Prism, but that was just to throw anyone off the scent.

Harold Finch:
Of what?

Arthur Claypool:
They'd already found it. Someone else had got there first.