From free will to wild algorithms: how AI is shaping our lives
6 November 2024 - Reading time: 8 minutes
Buckle your seatbelt Dorothy, because privacy is going bye-bye!
It’s not a secret that we all are permanently under observation. We became desensitized and used to it long ago so it is not bothering us too much any more. However, in recent years, the concept of monitoring the lives of humble citizens has evolved much beyond traditional notions of police and state-run agencies. AI has given life to new forms of digital surveillance and methods of collecting information about us. These methods are fast, effective, multidimensional, pervasive and much more intrusive than ever before. These emerging technologies have the power to monitor our every move, almost track our thoughts (so far: indirectly), and control our actions in ways that threaten the very essence of human freedom. Wild imagination? Oh please – read some recent news!
AI-driven surveillance is employed pretty much everywhere these days. It spans from analysis of our behaviour online up to voice and face recognition including monitoring of eye movements. It’s not so difficult really. By using modern high-speed and high-resolution video cameras and machine learning algorithms, computers can now analyse all kinds of behavioural patterns including how you walk, how you talk, and the slightest changes in pupil size and iris to determine everything from our attention span to our political preferences. This data then could be used to infer our personalities, interests, and preferences with alarming accuracy. Technology is progressing so quickly so these days everyone can build a simple surveillance system for fun, e.g. for monitoring your cat. So think about this: if you can build an AI-driven system with Raspberry Pi on one rainy Sunday, think about what governments and large businesses can do with their powerful technology and unlimited resources.
The implications are staggering. In a world where AI-powered algorithms know what we are thinking, feeling, and doing every moment of the day, the concept of privacy becomes an anachronism. Our every move could be tracked and recorded by cameras and sensors that watch us from above, below (and one day probably within). Every transaction, every conversation, and every thought becomes a document. The document can be traced, collected and analysed for clues about our behaviour, preferences, and values. Would I personally ever benefit from it? Doubt. But I am sure, it will be regularly explained to me that it is all happening for my safety, personalised marketing and, surely, for the good of all mankind.
Another prominent example is modern-day elections and voting. I am not referring to the most recent one but to any elections these days. It is totally unclear to me whether the outcome truly reflects voters' genuine desires or is instead influenced by sophisticated state-of-the-art "political engineering". With AI at their disposal, politicians can now create and disseminate tailored messages to millions of people, often without them even realising they're being manipulated. This raises deep concerns that citizens might become unwitting pawns in someone else’s larger agenda, rather than active participants in the democratic process.
Who controls the controller?
The widespread collection of personal data and processing by AI by governments and large corporations raises significant concerns about their accountability. The technology goes forward and these entities can now process and correlate unimaginable amounts of behavioural data on individuals without their knowledge or consent. This starts from browsing history, search queries, location information, biometric data and more. Even innocent metadata which is collected in such vast amounts and processed by AI can tell a lot about an individual. The problem I see is the omnipresent lack of transparency. It creates an opaque situation where individuals have limited or no control (and/or knowledge) over what data was collected, when and by whom. Governments and corporations often justify these practices under the guise of "national security" or "marketing efficiency,". The absence of clear regulations and, first of all, transparent accountability mechanisms means that people have no idea about what is happening with their data, leaving their privacy vulnerable. Let’s not forget that data later can be shared with unknown third parties, who have their own agendas. Data can also be leaked or stolen. Considering all this, probably the only recommendation we can give is: whatever you do online - share as little as possible because everything and anything can be used against you sooner or later. Not an easy task considering that these days we all pretty much never go offline, right?!
But this isn't just a matter of the state watching its citizens. Large businesses and social media platforms aggregate an incredible amount of data on our online activities and create detailed profiles that shape our experiences and interactions. Is there any way we might know what our data is used for? I guess, you know the answer to this question. However, do we truly grasp the implications of this step-by-step erosion of individual freedom? It's leading us towards a dystopian society where every aspect of our lives is constantly in an instant feedback loop with machines, and even the smallest decisions could be dictated by algorithmic manipulation. Probably the meaning of the word “spontaneous” under the circumstances should be redefined. I guess it might be described as “less influenced by the existing behaviour-optimising algorithms”.
By allowing this to happen, we create a society where the boundaries between public and private spaces are disappearing, leaving us all exposed and vulnerable to the whims of our digital masters who wield immense power over human lives. I think a good example of this is Iran's hijab laws. For me, it is a chilling illustration of what happens when AI-powered surveillance is used to enforce rigid conformity and punish dissent. By tracking women's headscarf-wearing habits through facial recognition technology, the authorities have created a system that can identify and penalise those who fail to comply with the regime's strict dress code. This has led to widespread arrests, fines, and even confiscation of property for those deemed to be non-conformists. What if the next decision of the government will be let’s say prohibit women from laughing in public? Could this "law" be enforced with the existing technical measures? Piece of cake.
Do we still have a chance?
In the face of the rapidly advancing proactive and aggressive AI-driven data collection and analysis, it's essential to fully understand the consequences that lie ahead. We're not just talking about a loss of privacy or a threat to civil liberties any more. We are facing a fundamental transformation of human society into a vast global experiment in modification and control of human behaviour. As usual, for the benefit of the chosen few. I can envisage that the AI-powered monitoring systems that are being deployed today have the potential to completely reshape who we are and what we are. Our shopping, working, travelling or dating will never be the same, knowing that not one but many AI Big Brothers are watching and influencing your every step 24/7. Our thoughts and behaviour define us as a species. If our behaviour becomes permanently changed due to the constant influence of technological factors – what does it mean? Are we evolving? Are we going to live in a sort of “symbiotic relationship” with machines? Or maybe degrading?
So, what can we do? First and foremost, we need to be aware of the technologies that surround us and how they're influencing our lives. We must always question the assumptions behind these systems (and their creators) and challenge their right to control our every move. In a world where the reigns of control are gradually given to AI, it's more important than ever to assert our humanity, defend our freedom, and resist the forces of newborn cyber-totalitarianism that might threaten to engulf us all.
We stand at a crossroads in history where the decisions of artificial intelligence systems could shape major historical processes and change the lives of billions. It’s the first time when the algorithms could, literally, make history. The stakes are high, but the battle for human dignity and freedom is not yet lost. The future is never predetermined, but the path ahead is shaped by the choices of all of us. Maybe it is time to learn from history lessons and strive to create AI systems that serve humanity, rather than the other way around.