Omniscient Life App
Elements of this post have been ruminating in my mind for a few years now. This is the best I have been able to put it into words; such as they are.
Experiment
A thought experiment for your consideration.
An app is developed–the Omniscient Life app–with the following features:
- Scans your biometrics to identify you using government databases
- Collects all audio/video about your life into a history stream by connecting with NSA/CIA/GCHQ surveillance archives
- Data mines the videos using AI to identify micro expressions to add a “thought-track” as subtitles or commentary
- Connects to your social media (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) to share your history stream
With this app, you can view any moment of your lifewith your accompanying psychological and emotion state via the “thought-track”.
If this app existed, how does it affect your views on the following:
- Privacy
- Government Surveillance
- Social Media
- Information Security
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cyber Bullying:
- Doxxing
- twitter mobs
- crucible effect (red scare, witch hunt)
- etc.
Version 2 adds the following features:
- All history streams are searchable and shareable by any other user
- The app analyzes cumulative thoughts and behaviors of a user and assigns labels: good person, bad person, kind, jerk, religious, sanctimonious, revolutionary, terrorist, etc.
How does that further affect your views?
Hypothesis
The Omniscient Life app leads to the following personal views:
- More privacy – everyone has something to hide
- Less surveillance – governments should not spy on people and certainly not store the data
- Less social media – over-sharing is actually dangerous
- More security – data is power in the information age and must be protected
- Artificial Intelligence – some calculations should not be made
- Less cyber bullying – if an abuser has motive, the internet provides means and opportunity
The internet is a powerful tool. Use it wisely. Protect it strongly.
Related Reading:
- The Eternal Value of Privacy: https://www.schneier.com/essays/archives/2006/05/the_eternal_value_of.html
- Do Not Ship It: https://blog.datproject.org/2017/12/10/dont-ship/
