<The Impact of AI and Big Tech on Human Autonomy>
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Technology is reshaping the destiny of humanity.
From rudimentary computer systems to world-class chess and Go players, advancements in machine learning and AI have progressed significantly, enhancing their ability to interpret vast quantities of personal data.
The pressing concern is how this data will be utilized moving forward and who will wield control over it.
At present, this power lies within the data centers of major tech corporations.
The ‘GAFAs’ (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple) essentially own our data. Consumers often mistakenly believe that their online activities are “free” simply because they don’t involve direct monetary transactions.
However, the true cost is your data and your privacy.
In essence, every time you engage with these platforms, you are trading your digital identity. This trade is fundamental to their business models, and in today's economy, data serves as a new form of currency.
The next question concerns how these corporations will advance technology and what new applications they will create.
How might these developments alter our understanding of “free will” — if such a concept ever truly existed?
Free will is often considered the foundational principle of our liberal economic, social, and political systems, which assume an independent self capable of making choices without external interference.
In a world of self-governance, it seems that we are in control. We decide whom to vote for, who to date, and what careers to pursue.
But this autonomy may soon be challenged.
A Brave New World
Imagine a scenario where all your life choices are made on your behalf.
Not only would you accept these decisions, but you might also trust the entity making them, knowing it typically operates with greater accuracy than you do.
Every decision, from your life partner to your career path and dietary choices, would be meticulously assessed, weighing benefits and drawbacks from countless data points, ultimately presenting you with a clear path forward.
Would you prefer the unpredictability and richness of life’s trials over a predetermined route?
In short, would you wish to preserve your human ability to err, or would you submit to the determinism imposed by advanced AI technology?
I recently revisited Yuval Harari's “21 Lessons for the 21st Century,” which offers intriguing insights into how society and humanity may evolve in the near future.
Harari poses questions that resonate deeply with these concerns. While this future may appear far-fetched, it is closer than one might think.
Technological growth is accelerating, and AI algorithms are becoming increasingly sophisticated as they amass more data about individuals.
Digital applications and services are designed to engage us, exploiting our inherent tendencies, particularly our fear of missing out (FOMO). They hinder our ability to make conscious choices, instead ensnaring us in a “slot machine” of variable rewards that keeps us captivated by novelty.
On average, individuals check their phones 125 times a day, perpetually seeking the next dopamine rush from likes, shares, or comments.
Streaming services like Netflix automatically cue the next episode before you even realize you've committed another hour to binge-watching; it doesn't feel like your choice.
These platforms understand how to engage us, diminishing our agency.
The Convergence of Biotech and Infotech
The integration of biotechnology (through smart sensors) with information technology (capable of processing immense data) is bound to create a new paradigm.
Imagine a reality where an AI algorithm determines what is best for you because it understands you better than you do.
Does this sound implausible? Consider this:
Platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon already predict your interests, delivering content tailored to your preferences. As you consume more, you generate even more data, leading to increasingly accurate recommendations.
Soon, services like Netflix may monitor your physiological responses to what you view. Your heart rate, emotional reactions, and even arousal levels could be gauged through facial recognition technology.
You become an open book.
Similarly, Amazon could implement technology that reads consumers' reactions while they browse Kindle books. Subtle cues, such as sweaty palms indicating tension or rapid scrolling reflecting engagement, could be tracked.
This could lead to advanced AIs creating narratives, music, series, or films entirely based on your preferences and emotional triggers.
Need motivation? The algorithm knows what inspires you and delivers a personalized uplifting story with fitting music.
While this may sound beneficial—providing more relevant, efficient services—it also means you are no longer steering your own life; you are merely along for the ride, directed by large AI systems controlled by a handful of tech giants.
Consider how dating apps like Tinder might adopt a similar approach: by analyzing swiping behavior, response times, and where users focus on the screen, the app could know your preferences and prioritize suitable profiles accordingly.
If no human partner meets your criteria, a sophisticated operating system could step in as a temporary companion, drawing from everything it knows about you (as depicted in the unsettling film, “Her”).
What would it mean for an AI to dictate such personal decisions? For instance, would you allow an AI to choose your spouse or career?
This AI could analyze your history and emotional makeup, combining that with its ability to process vast amounts of data.
Picture yourself as an 18-year-old contemplating your academic future. The algorithm has tracked your behavior since you’ve been “wired,” observing every interaction and reaction since early childhood.
It understands your feelings based on the language you use, the content you search for, and the individuals you engage with daily.
The AI then guides you toward a pre-established trajectory, offering a curated list of options based on its extensive knowledge of you and the current job market.
You know the AI surpasses you in intelligence — indeed, it outmatches any individual on the planet. You lack the comprehensive understanding of which sectors will flourish in the coming years and what skills will be necessary for success.
But the AI is aware.
It gathers data from every corner of the internet, knowing you better than you know yourself.
A Global Data Processing System
Consider what the future may hold:
A universal blockchain.
Blockchain technology, the backbone of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, doesn’t have to be complex.
At its core, a blockchain is a global database recording real-time transactions. In finance, these transactions involve the flow of money from one person to another.
However, blockchain could soon extend to numerous other aspects of life, including healthcare.
Ultimately, this could create a comprehensive map composed of trillions of data points about each of us. The technology will be so widely adopted that it will be nonsensical for individuals to opt out.
If centralized and accessible, this data could be exploited to target individuals similarly to how modern apps and websites operate, but on a far grander scale.
The key difference with blockchain is that those records are intended to be immutable. They cannot be altered or tampered with.
Everything you have ever said, done, or engaged with could be permanently recorded on a public ledger accessible to all.
Understanding Free Will
The notion of free will implies an individual's ability to make independent choices.
However, this belief is often simplistic and unrealistic.
Our decisions are constantly shaped by our surroundings: the views of friends and colleagues, media influences, and our past experiences.
Yet, with enough self-awareness, we can recognize these influences on our judgment.
The real challenge arises when these influences are subtle, hidden, and pervasive, rendering us oblivious to them.
AI and Big Data, especially when combined with advances in biotech and infotech, can sway our decisions without our conscious awareness.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal demonstrated that social media users can be manipulated, with their voting preferences exploited for political gain. This can be achieved by presenting the right content to the right people at the right moments.
Is free will genuine? It only exists as long as we acknowledge its constraints.
As long as we remain aware of the inputs that shape our thoughts and decisions.
When we lose sight of this, free will becomes an illusion. What remains is a programmable mind, susceptible to influence with the mere press of a button.
Final Reflections
The rapid pace of technological evolution is difficult to navigate. The sheer volume of data centralized within a few tech companies is staggering.
The power that comes with data ownership is immense. Analyzing and interpreting this data can significantly alter how we engage with content, services, and products.
It may also transform how we manage and direct various facets of our lives.
Be prepared for swift advancements in AI and intriguing applications designed to simplify our lives.
However, the price of this convenience and personalization may extend beyond personal data; your very free will could be at risk.
What can be done about this?
Elon Musk's OpenAI is one initiative aiming to democratize AI access, striving to prevent it from being monopolized by a few corporations that could manipulate the rest of us globally.
On a more personal level, consider “unplugging” from technology and “replugging” into your own self. Practices like meditation and mindfulness could be beneficial.
In fact, they might be your best defense against losing control over your inner self before decisions are made for you.
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