The Data That Turned the World Upside Down

Discussion in 'privacy problems' started by mirimir, Feb 2, 2017.

  1. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/how-our-likes-helped-trump-win

    But this is about far more than politics:
    ... and ...
    So hey, play safe out there ;)
     
  2. Joxx

    Joxx Registered Member

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    This proves two things:
    that people talk to much when on social networking,
    that psychologists only state the obvious.
     
  3. deBoetie

    deBoetie Registered Member

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    Yep, we're full of "tells". They'll have me at 100% angry at the mass surveillance.

    I saw research some while back which showed how characteristic a person's use of pronouns was, and that it could be used in some cases to attribute or settle authorship disputes with some level of accuracy.

    I've no doubt that the amount of data available and "improvements" to machine learning, contribute to the effectiveness of that kind of profiling.
     
  4. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    This is how AI is pwning us. So we need our own AI, for protection. Rather like anti-malware for the mind.
     
  5. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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    you guys must have had to read the book 1984 in school, right?

    right now it is sold out as a best seller.

    back in 1970 the US government had already created a bio weapon that could just target one ethnic group if it wanted to. in other words not all exposed would die, only a certain race.
     
  6. Nice link Mirimir; I read the article and I'd not seen much mention made of this in the regular press over the last year or so; seems like this type of technology is a significant technological development that can have significant potential effects; seems like they are combining streams of different technologies together and that seems to be having the major effect
     
  7. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    Trained people (salespeople, politicians, etc) have always been capable of this. But limited by information, and ability to use it at scale. But now they can automate it. Maybe it's not AI, in a strict sense, because there are still human decision-makers. But still frightening :eek:
     
  8. gorblimey

    gorblimey Registered Member

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    No. This is not--yet--AI. It's not 1984. But it makes a mockery of any claim to or of "Democracy".

    Quick 101: Democracy is not about "having a vote". Democracy is all about the proletariat being empowered to choose their (electable) leaders in government, and to stand if they want. The absolute prerequisite for participation in a democracy is a good education, and the freedom to associate.

    Kosinski and Nix have ensured the end of democracy, if no government is willing to place harsh limits on the use of elector profiling.

    Now we have seen the Dark Side of the InterWeb. I am sure all Social Media users have an education, and it is beyond doubt that they are upright and moral persons. The fact is, they are the victims of their own good natures.

    Sorry Mods: Occasionally a bit of philosophy must necessarily intrude on our IT discussions.
     
  9. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    I tend to agree about the end of democracy. I'm not optimistic about the chances of regulating the technology, however.

    It's not yet strong AI, no doubt. But it's part of what it'll look like.
     
  10. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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  11. mirimir

    mirimir Registered Member

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    Sure, but that's just another case of access control being essential for security.
     
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