In the future, will companies "hack" humans to get them to do what they want?
That's what some experts — including author Yuval Harari — believe will happen if we don't start regulating A.I.
But let’s back up a minute and start with where we are today:
By collecting mass amounts of data, companies are getting to know you almost as well as you know yourself. They use your data to learn (and predict with great accuracy) your likes, dislikes and behavior. While this doesn't compromise your identity, some people argue that it does compromise your autonomy.
The Center for Humane Technology describes it this way:
"These companies are building little models [of you]. Your doll sits in the cloud, and they throw 100,000 videos at it to see what gets you to stick around, or what ad with what messaging is uniquely good at getting you to do something."
Harari's concern is that, via our data, we’re giving away power to companies that don't have our best interests at heart. "Netflix tells us what to watch, Amazon tells us what to buy," he says. "Eventually ... such algorithms could also tell you what to study at college, where to work, whom to marry, and even whom to vote for."
Because of this, he’s calling on the world's leaders to begin regulating data collection efforts by large companies, suggesting that guardrails be put into place so data can't be used to manipulate us. Harari believes the issue is urgent, since we are becoming more and more dependent on digital technology and A.I. is getting exponentially more sophisticated.
So what do you think?
? If companies could show a benevolent use for their data collection (i.e., it helps you make smarter health decisions, or it motivates you to study harder) should that be allowed — even if it helps their business too?
? Knowing that more and more of our lives are “going digital” … How should the government regulate data collection by companies like Amazon?
? As technology gets more advanced, is “hacking” humans inevitable?
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