Big Brother is watching you.
Big data is the fuel of the future: data-driven startups are the ones that will change the way we view this world (insideBIGDATA, 2017). Big data is highly valuable, that much is clear, and people are aware of it. Large businesses are continuously searching for ways to increase their revenue, making use of big data. Big data is more than just data; it is what drives the algorithms behind Artificial Intelligence. It is what allows AI to learn on its own, thereby continuously developing itself.
And it will continue to progress, year after year. The amount of data online is predicted to rise exponentially (Helbing et. al, 2017). This means that in one year from now, the total amount of data has been doubled. And the year after that, it will double again. It will transform society as we know it. There’s opportunities to be seized in this, of course. But with these opportunities comes considerable risk.
Big Brother is watching you. That’s the main theme in George Orwell’s bestseller novel “1984”. He feared for a world in which everything about us would be monitored, and the only truth is that which the government tells you.
Now, 43 years post-1984, we collectively post billions of bits of information about ourselves on social media every day. Information systems can use our online browsing and purchasing history to deduct our personal preferences. They probably know us better than we do ourselves. Our personal information is up for grabs. There are very few companies and institutions whose systems haven’t been hacked already.
Our decision-making is being influenced as well. Take a look at Google’s search engine, for instance. Companies are already able to bid on our searches to gain more favorable advertising results (WordStream Inc., 2011). Individual-level data and targeting can create a system where even politicians could manipulate our voting decisions (Helbing et. al, 2017).
Manipulation like this is only partly effective, of course. Advertisements must adhere to a plethora of rules and regulations as it stands already. And people will continue to care about and fight for their privacy. So, the comparison with “1984” is not quite accurate, yet. Nevertheless, these are some of the risks we should watch out for.
What is your stance on the effects of the digitalization of society on our privacy? Share your thoughts!
References:
Helbing, D., Frey, B., Gigerenzer, G., Hafen, E., Hagner, M., Hofstetter, Y., . . . Zwitter, A. (2017, February 25). Will Democracy Survive Big Data. Scientific American, 2-16. Accessed on October 11, 2017, from https://www.bsfrey.ch/articles/D_283_2017.pdf
insideBIGDATA. (2017, February 16). The Exponential Growth of Data. Accessed on October 11, 2017, from insideBIGDATA.com: https://insidebigdata.com/2017/02/16/the-exponential-growth-of-data/
Wordstream Inc. (2011). What is Google AdWords? How the AdWords Auction Works. Accessed on October 11, 2017, from WordStream.com: http://ww.wordstream.com/articles/what-is-google-adwords
Hi Sander,
Interesting article you wrote. It depends in what way the information is used. If it is on a macro-level it does not target specific people. But when individual-level data and targeting are brought up, that worries me a lot. Therefore I believe we should set up rules and regulations with regard to what information we can use and on what level. As soon as possible as well. Furthermore, I believe that AI’s should be controlled, that they do not start communicating amongst other AI’s. Like Google experienced when they had to shut down their own AI’s because they started communicating with each other in an own language. (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-artificial-intelligence-ai-chatbot-new-language-research-openai-google-a7869706.html) What is your thought on regulation?