Just watched this and wow… even after already knowing a lot about surveillance capitalism, this was an eye opener.
From one angle, you can actually see this development as the enhancement of human perception, through technological rather than conscious means. It’s also the dark side of this perceptual capability… much like people who misuse NLP in un-ecological ways.
NLP actually gives us as individuals many similar “superpowers” of perception to what the technologists are achieving via AI algorithms. We can spot the hidden trends in human behavior and use that insight to redirect human behavior. The difference is that we’re doing it with ecology and respect for the free will of the individual.
What if these same technological superpowers were used to redirect people toward choices that enhance their consciousness and well-being? Only with the person’s consent and conscious awareness, of course. In this end this is all about free will and choice.
In a strange way, this “evil” activity is actually expanding human consciousness because it is increasing awareness. These AI algorithms help us spot previously unseen connections and relationships between things… ultimately leading to the conclusion that all things are connected. The key is to make sure that this expanded awareness respects free will, and that it goes both ways instead of being a one-way mirror.
But eventually it will. Eventually you will have open source software to look at publicly available videos and photos of public figures and world leaders and determine more about them that they know themselves… including how honest they are… even if they’re lying in real time. Think an AI sensory acuity version of Milton Erickson… “I knew she went into a trance because I saw the pulse on her ankle quicken from across the room.” Soon anyone will be able to do the same with AI. Everyone will have the equivalent of a real-time polygraph.
This type of radical transparency has the potential to really transform the planet for good, by making the unseen seen and allowing us to hold business and political leaders more accountable for their behavior. So it’s another example of the way our universe is diverging as it expands: things are becoming more secret and more transparent simultaneously.
As we find ourselves more exposed by this technology, our flaws and foibles are magnified and reflected back at us more quickly, creating a massive feedback loop for personal growth and development. When our every move is scrutinized, we all have to be on our best behavior, but that also means we have to grow faster. Because no one can keep up an act like that forever… sooner or later you have to just let go of the darkness within… which is our specialty by the way.
I’m excited to see how we redirect this seemingly dark development to the enhancement of human prosperity and the prosperity of all life.