AI as a Surveillance Technology

https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/25/signals-meredith-whittaker-ai-is-fundamentally-a-surveillance-technology/?guccounter= Meredith Whittaker, discussed her perspective on AI as a surveillance technology. She highlighted that AI is closely tied to big data and targeting industries, suggesting that it perpetuates the surveillance business model. Whittaker explained that AI systems, including facial recognition with emotion analysis, collect data about individuals and are marketed to entities with power, such as employers and governments, to make determinations and predictions. She also emphasized that human labor is essential in creating AI systems, raising questions about the true intelligence behind them. Whittaker acknowledged that not all AI systems are exploitative and mentioned Signal’s use of AI for privacy-preserving purposes like blurring faces in photos to protect biometric data. However, she expressed concerns about the broader economic incentives driving facial recognition technology.

Signal’s Meredith Whittaker: AI is fundamentally ‘a surveillance technology’ | TechCrunch

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