AI and Privacy / Surveillance
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I feel as though when it comes to the topic of privacy, many people seem to not realize why it is a fundamental right, let alone the extent to which a lack of digital /data privacy can be weaponized to make their lives worse. While I used to generally subscribe to the idea that it doesn’t matter if my data is being sold since it only makes my life more convenient if I get more targeted ads and content in things I’m interested in, I realize now what the implications truly are. Lately, I’ve been creeped out (and severely inconvenienced) by Uber price-gouging. While the company officially denies the allegations, users believe that the company tracks phone battery levels to set prices (if you’re on a lower percentage, prices will be much higher). There’s also the allegation that using, “…data on consumers’ ride preferences and willingness to pay, they can set individualized prices at the highest amount you’re likely to pay—a practice the Federal Trade Commission is now calling ‘surveillance pricing.’” AI can streamline the process of analyzing user data and setting prices, and I personally feel like my Uber costs have changed. The same trip I take every week can increase by $20 depending on how late I am compared to my usual booking time or whether I haven’t charged my phone in the morning. While we can joke about how data isn’t that important, we need to realize we live in a data economy and that it has tangible impacts on our lives, especially when we introduce AI into the picture. The reading which focused on productivity tracking brought up a point that I wholeheartedly agree with: surveillance degrades human dignity. And that brings us to the issue of coerced consent. Even if a worker is informed of surveillance technology tracking their every move and micromanaging their social interactions, performance, and online activity, not everyone can feasibly protest or reject the practice or else they risk losing their job. The worst part is that if employers are offloading most of this surveillance work to AI algorithms, there is a risk of inaccuracy or of an employer completely trusting the AI over a worker’s word. I feel like we are rapidly moving toward a future where every facet of life will be defined by hypervigilance, which will not only severely impact people’s professional and academic lives, but also their mental health.
I would also like to touch up on the regular Meta Glasses and the ICE Meta Glasses situation, because both show how AI and smart technology are becoming more connected to everyday life and surveillance. The regular Meta Glasses already raise privacy concerns since they can record videos, take pictures, and collect information in public without people always noticing. The ICE Meta Glasses conversation made these concerns even bigger, since it shows how this kind of technology could be connected to law enforcement and tracking people. It raises important questions about privacy, safety, and how much control technology should have in society.
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