Age of Ai

One statement from the video that truly stood out to me the most was, "We were searching Google, but we had no idea that Google was searching us." This was stated within the first five minutes of viewing the video, and this resonated with me until the end of the video. 

The common perception of technological advancement appears to be that artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually taking over. Though this is accurate because manufacturers and companies are mostly run by machines, not people. Jobs are gradually being replaced with AI. For example, cashier positions. If you were to walk into a McDonald's, the likelihood that you are to order on a screen yourself versus ordering with a person at the register is super high. 

This idea of surveillance capitalism is on the rise in China and is now even screening individuals on the streets who may seem prone to terrorism. Individuals are screened, patted down, and have photos taken of them daily. Their phones are even being traced for any suspicious activity. This is a form of extreme surveillance. Officials are specifically targeting Turkic Muslims, who have immigrated to China, as part of their efforts to prevent political resentment. The Turks are being detained and toured at remote camps, and many of these incidents have been fatal. Though this has not been the headliner for many news outlets, it is important to bring awareness to this as this is using AI for the collective punishment of an ethnic group.

In terms of privacy online, the state of California recently passed a law that states that people have the right to know exactly what information large tech corporations have and the right to say no to selling their information. As AI advances, individuals should be informed of what information is being collected and stored. 

Kai-fu Lee is a great representation of what the future of AI should look like. He explains how we as a society should take advantage of this technology for the good, as this will promote the new age of enlightenment.