America's classic neighborhood watch programs are fading as AI -powered apps turn neighborhoods into digital watch zones. Why it matters: The automation of neighborhood safety with tools like Amazon's Ring and the Nextdoor app is quietly dismantling one of the country's most basic forms of civic life: neighbors who actually know each other. What's replacing it is faster, smarter — and far more detached. Shared videos of "suspicious" strangers and wildlife alerts are in; out are block captains, porch meetings and "See Something, Say Something" signs. Zoom in: Ring doorbells stream constant footage, allowing users to post it all on an app as alerts. Nextdoor posts flag "suspicious" strangers and lets users shame dog walkers who don't pick up poop. License plate readers are cropping up in thousands of communities, alarming privacy advocates. As surveillance technology spreads, neighborhood watch programs are being dismantled.…