AI — No Rules! Why Should We Have Them?
After attending several talks at a Data Science conference, I found myself pondering something important — rules. Yep, those regulations that outline what we can and can’t do. We might not like them, but they’re actually quite important. Let me explain why.
Well, someone from Microsoft explained that when a country establishes a rule, it’s easier to make it a global standard rather than having different rules everywhere. That’s beneficial, assuming the rules make sense. We’re all racing to be the best in the AI market. So, investing time and money in rules that we know are crucial might not be worth it. I’m not saying there are no rules at all; GDPR is a clear example of that.
Speaking of GDPR, it’s designed to conceal your identity when companies use your data. Sounds good, right? But think for a second: many companies sell data to each other. For instance, Foursquare uses its own data and buys more data from different sources to fill in the gaps. My concern is if someone connects all this data using AI, they could create a detailed profile of you, even though your info is supposed to be hidden. This could lead to ads or products appearing based on your actions, without you actively searching for them.
Some people might not mind this data sharing, thinking it’s a fair trade. But behind it all, there’s money to be made, and there aren’t really effective rules to control it. The next time you reach out to your bank, the person you speak with might be selected by AI, specifically chosen to cater to your preferences and potentially encourage more sales. This practice is already in motion.
My biggest concern is about raising kids in this world. How do we teach them what’s genuine and what’s tailored for them? How can we prepare them to approach everything they see online or everyone they talk to, whom they don’t physically know, with skepticism? It’s tough, really tough, for them to lose what we had — a sense of trust and belief!
Ai is fantastic in many ways. It can generate presentations from simple notes, swiftly check my writing, and even change my voice to speak another language. But when it begins tailoring things based on what it assumes I want, like trying to sell me stuff I glanced at, that’s where I draw the line. So, I try to use fewer apps, limit the data they collect from me, and carefully choose what I share. But until there are better rules in place, we’re all somewhat trapped in this cycle where we sacrifice our privacy for some benefits.
