Taking The 'Human' Out Of Humanity..
Digital ID, Data Collection, Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, Computer Modeling, Simulations, Data-Driven Policy Making, Etc.
Perhaps being born in the early 90's is to blame for my inability to know where I stand when it comes to the digitization of everything, and the use of data for decision making.
You see, the world in which I grew up no longer exists. Everything is much more fast-paced it seems these days, and technology is advancing at such an incredible rate, that it's literally impossible to keep up with. From biased AI chatbots, to LAWS or “Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems” (and the fact that there is basically no policy anywhere, that restricts the development and/or use of any of this tech), staying optimistic about what the future may hold is not always the easiest thing to do.
How stupid we were as children, to think that “growing up” was what we wanted to do. Oh, the things I would give to go back to the days of climbing trees, catching minnows, coloring books, and Barbie dolls —at least for a little while, anyways.
Having grown up without a computer in my home, most of the research I did for school projects was done via dusty encyclopedia. You see, we had a computer, but we didn't have internet (because that was still normal back then). So my school reports and projects were typed out, but I didn’t have Google to help me gather my information. Come to think of it, that was actually pre-Google era. Ask Jeeves was the name of the search engine on the computers in the library of my public school.
Instead of the internet, I had access to a couple different Encyclopedia sets, and thinking about it now, I still remember the way those old books smelled. It's funny that after all this time, that is what my brain decides to hold onto —but yet I can’t always remember why I went into the kitchen. Haha.
It’s hard to believe that we all got by just fine, having to rely on dial-up, and not having access to all of the world’s information at our fingertips like we do now, with our smartphones.
Speaking of access to all the world’s information, this new era of data collecting, and data-driven processes, is probably going to be the main driving factor behind one of the most major changes of our lifetime. And I’m really starting to understand why I regularly heard things like “you kids these days and your damn electronics” when I was younger. That’s exactly how I feel now, seeing the younger generations obsess over TikTok and center their entire lives around social media and clout.
Having read through a few of the official plans and roadmaps that the Government of Canada has laid out on their website, I can already imagine the problems we will all be inconvenienced with in the not-so-distant future. But, then again, we all knew things would eventually lead to the digitization of everything. I just don’t think any of us thought it would happen so quickly.
In fact, it’s the insanely rapid development that worrys me most about future technology. Things are moving so quickly, that it’s difficult for us to understand what sort of negative/positive impact it’s having on us. We’re aware of the poor environmental impact, despite no one ever admitting to such until it’s too late. But we have no idea what all this technology is doing to our brain, or if it's what has caused the mental health crisis, or really anything else, to do with us and our health. Unfortunately, I don’t think we are going to know any of this stuff any time soon, with all the incoming changes we are about to see in the world.
Many governments are jumping at the idea of requiring their citizens to sign up for a digital ID. Some have had these programs up and running for a while now. Governments are now collecting incredible amounts of data from their citizens. And I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want, is the government having the ability to know all those little details about who I am or what I do, and then potentially punish me in some way for trivial reasons —or worse, punish me for something I have yet to do, because the data they gathered suggests I’m likely to do it.
I know that saying this stuff makes me come off as some crazy, Alex Jones-type, conspiracy theorist, to some people. But you should know that I have actively been seeking out information on this topic, that doesn't point in the direction of George Orwell's 1984, and I have yet to find any. Not one webpage (government or otherwise), has given me the slightest bit of reassurance that this technology won't be used against us. So if you have somehow found a corner of the internet that I’ve missed, and have read some good news about this, then please share the link in the comments below. My outlook could definitely use the positivity.
The plans and programs that I have read about the new digital era we are stepping into, have all been basically the same. On the surface, they seem like generally acceptable outlines, and something that most people would support. However, after what has been happening with the whole clean/green energy situation should be a huge sign when it comes to other areas of society, and the plans that have been made by the few, for the many.
Right now, all around the globe, upgrades are taking place to governmental technology and policy. New software is being developed and implemented, more and more algorithms are being integrated into official processes, and humans are being stripped of their responsibility, so that decisions can be made “easily” by machines. Legal processes are starting to use data to determine whether or not a person is guilty of a crime, and how long their jail sentence should be. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. This is real, and it’s absolutely happening.
Just take a look at this, from 2017:
I’m not the only one who thinks this is crazy, am I?
Those that are all about using AI and algorithms for decision making in the court room typically like to fawn over how such technology will remove human bias from decisions, and therefore decisions will be more objective than subjective. But in all actuality, bias is very common in AI. Afterall, the AI can only be unbiased, if the information that was used to program it was unbiased. If you have messed around with ChatGPT, you may have seen the difference in how it responds to questions about certain political figures. It has no problem writing poems praising Joe Biden, but it straight up refuses to write the same about Donald Trump.
If you would like to learn more about data collection and bias in algorithms and AI, you should read the following book:
The bottom line here, is that when it comes to the legal system, decisions are being made that literally define a persons life —whether they are guilty of a crime, and how much time they will serve if they are found guilty. And while AI can definitely be used as a tool of probability to help guide decision making, the judicial system cannot rely solely on artificial intelligence because the machines do not understand the entire context, or different situations in society like a human trained in law does. New technology can and should be used to speed up certain parts of the process, and for tasks that don’t potentially have such negative impact on individuals, but all use of this technology needs to be done with the right people interpreting the data and understanding the meaning. No two court cases are ever the same, and it is the fine details of each case that set them apart from one another. You cannot program a machine to understand that sort of thing.
Just think about all the insurance companies that are ready to jump on the AI band wagon, especially with all the data recording technology that new vehicles come with. How would you like it if all your driving information was sent to your insurance company, and when you get into a car accident, your insurance company uses AI to evaluate your driving history, and determine whether or not you are covered. Or what if you had to submit all your driving history data, just to determine what your insurance rate will be? And before you say that you would have nothing to worry about, because you are a good driver, consider them using a program that relies on location data and your driving habit data, to see exactly when and where you went over the speed limit, plus just how fast you were going, and for how long. Or whatever other driving error you make. Vehicles are already using sensors that essentially make them communicate with one another, and to detect objects around them, like we see most notably with Tesla. So not only would your driving history be used to determine things about your insurance, but the data from any interactions that your vehicle had with other vehicles would be used as well. Did you cut someone off? Did you have both hands on the wheel? Was your music volume up high, potentially distracting you a little? We may not be at that point yet, but that is exactly where we are headed.
So what is causing this big data obsession? Well, to be honest, the answer to that question is so ridiculous, that it’s actually funny. Efficiency and profit. Or, that’s at least the way it looks from my perspective.
Yep. We once again find ourselves pointing the finger at greed. What a joke.
Does nobody care anymore? Have we really got to a point of no return, when it comes to treating one another with decency? Are we not yet sick and tired of crap quality products and services? Why are we allowing a small group of wealthy elites (that own just about everything in the world, and run all the companies that make everything we buy), accuse us of negatively impacting our environment and “driving global warming” (and so on), all the while they never do anything to provide products and services to us, that don’t cause such detrimental harm to our health and our planet? All we do is buy the things that we need to live, and choose what to buy from the available options. It’s not our fault that things are made with harmful ingredients and materials. Yet, we find ourselves paying a carbon tax, don’t we? Pretty soon, that carbon penalty will be based off of every purchase we make, and whether or not we were spending our money on “sustainable” purchases.
And if you think I’m being dramatic, take a look at this screenshot I took of the World Economic Forum’s website:
It is EXACTLY what Chris Sky (“gym bro” from Covid protest that went viral), warned us about in a video he posted..
This is no “crazy conspiracy theory” I’m talking about. This stuff is slithering it’s way into all areas of society, and it has been for a while now.
You might think that you’d never agree to signing up for digital ID, and that’s that. But if they implement a new requirement for when you do your taxes? Or better yet, what if having been registered at birth, and using other forms of governmental ID gives them permission to set a digital account up for you, that links all of your information together? Do we really believe that those in power wouldn’t go that far with their overreach? Can you honestly say that, that’s a line that won’t be crossed, even though those same people are the ones who ordered that police officers from all over the country be flown into Ottawa, to beat and trample peaceful protesters, while those protesters had their bank accounts frozen and they got smeared by the mainstream news? Do you really think they are above anything at this point? I don’t.
But I’m afraid that our opinions aren’t going to matter. I’ve complained to the Canadian government in the past, multiple times. The most recent time was actually not all that long ago. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how much evidence (scientific or otherwise), that you provide to back up any claims that you are making, or to justify a complaint you are giving. You only ever end up with generalized responses that sound like they were automated, and that completely lack empathy and understanding all together. If you happen to make it past those, to where you can tell that an actual human being typed out the reply you received, it’s still not much better. You might be given some link to download some information relating to the matter you have contacted them about, but it doesn’t happen all the time. Regardless of how well you put together information that backs up any claims you are making, or that details the inaccuracies in the information they provided to you, you don’t ever get anywhere. What you get is a lot of “we assure you that our experts know what they are talking about, and have examined everything there is to know about this topic, and therefore there is no way that they are wrong, so there is nothing to worry about” --basically the same type of bullshit they fed to the world about the Covid jabs being “safe and effective”.
The last time I complained to the government, it was about 5G. Not only did I provide scientific literature that details the ways in which our health is negatively effected by certain frequencies, but I provided supporting evidence that shows that the frequency ranges used for 5G are ones that have a multitude of negative health effects on all biological life. Plus, I also went into extensive detail about where exactly they went wrong in their research, that led them to their incorrect conclusion, and what it was that they should have been looking at more closely, that shows how biological life is negatively effected by the frequency ranges that 5G uses. The emails were all rather lengthy, and every single one included various different reference links, and reputable sources for my information. But I essentially got no where.
There is far too much lobbying going on, with many levels of corruption, plus the never ending list of conflicts of interest amongst those that are supposed to be working to serve the citizens of our country —they like to call it “democracy”, but it’s far from it.
And just think.. they are going to be using more and more automation in governmental processes and policy-making.
I will say it again:
They are taking the “human” out of humanity.
And it’s happening in every part of society.
Big data is a big problem, and I’m not so sure there is a way out.
Thanks for taking the time to read what I have to say.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to comment below.
I know that my approach to writing is a lot more personal, or anecdotal, than how most people present topics on the internet. But I feel like often people are unattached to the information that’s provided in less personal writing. There are many many people who are entirely unaware of a lot of this stuff, and what is occurring at the technical level of policies and legal processes, and the vast majority of all that makes up society. So I felt that being more personal was a good idea, when writing about these topics, as it gives people a way to relate to what is being said. By providing a small scale example of how my life is being effected by something, I hope that those who read what I have to say, will be able to then relate it to an experience they have had in their lives, and continue connecting the dots from there. We saw with Covid, how impossible it can be to get through to people, when they are set in their ways. It doesn’t matter who you are, or how much of an important figure you are. You can’t force someone to change their mind. All you can do is point out things that a person might resonate with, that point them in the right direction, so that they will start to put things together on their own. At least, that’s how my experience has been.
But anyways, this post is long enough.
I’ll quit rambling.
Thanks again for reading!
-Davis