Meredith Whittaker, the president of private messaging app Signal, shed light on the intrinsic link between AI and Big Tech’s surveillance capitalism, emphasizing the profound implications of the technology on privacy and user data during her appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023. Whittaker went so far as to label AI as “surveillance technology,” which may be why the Silicon Valley Masters of the Universe are rushing to integrate AI into everything they do.
The conversation also touched upon the practical applications of AI, such as facial recognition. These technologies, she explained, generate biometric data about individuals that might not even been completely accurate, influencing determinations and predictions that subsequently shape people’s access to resources and opportunities.
However, the development of these sophisticated AI systems is not devoid of human intervention. Whittaker pointed out the paradox of low-paid workers contributing to the assembly process of AI datasets, a necessary step in the development of AI technologies. “It’s thousands and thousands of workers paid very little… and there’s no other way to create these systems, full stop,” she clarified.
Despite the overarching theme of surveillance and exploitation, Whittaker acknowledged the existence of non-exploitative AI applications. She cited an example actually developed by Signal — a small on-device model utilized for a face blur feature, aimed at protecting biometric data.
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