More Predictions Coming True?

OK, I know this is blowing my own trumpet a bit but, frankly, this is getting desperate so maybe it’s time to take the gloves off and look at some of the emerging tech. ethics predictions I’ve made over the years and how they’re turning out …

Personal privacy:

• 2014: “A ‘Shazam for People’ recognition system will become available, able to identify anyone in the street and provide massive amounts of personal background information about them in real time” https://vicgrout.net/2014/08/20/shazam-for-people/ https://www.austinpublishinggroup.com/robotics-automation/fulltext/download.php?file=ajra-v1-id1001.pdf  https://vicgrout.net/2015/08/23/the-prof-on-a-train-game/
• 2018 it’s starting: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5239767/The-Shazam-faces-99-67-accurate.html (sorry to cite the Daily Fascist) but also https://www.blippar.com/blog/2017/07/19/introducing-halos-bringing-facial-recognition-mainstream and  https://vicgrout.net/2018/10/01/and-so-it-begins/

AI/Robot Sex:

• 2014 onwards: “AI will bring in a new generation of sex robots and it will be possible to simulate sex with any individual, even against their wishes: celebrities, ex-partners, people whose data you’ve captured in the street, your neighbour’s 12-year old daughter, etc. https://vicgrout.net/2014/11/10/the-ins-and-outs-of-robot-sex/ https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/robot-sex-ethics-and-morality-2090-9888-1000e104.php?aid=67397 https://www.shortlist.com/news/sex-robots-artificial-intelligence
• 2018 it’s happening: https://cloudclimax.co.uk/product/emma-the-sex-robot-tpe-with-full-artificial-intelligence/ https://vicgrout.net/2018/06/06/well-dont-say-you-werent-warned/
• 2019 it’s REALLY happening: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/j5yzpk/they-cant-stop-us-people-are-having-sex-with-3d-avatars-of-their-exes-and-celebrities?utm_source=vicetwitterus

Fake News:

• 2017: “Fake News will become mainstream in the sense that it will infect all forms of media and be used by supposedly ‘legitimate’ organisations https://vicgrout.net/2017/04/03/fake-news-had-to-happen-but-why/
• 2019: There you go https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/20/twitter-accuses-tories-of-misleading-public-in-factcheck-row  “AI manipulation will evolve to the point where anything can be made to look real”  https://vicgrout.net/2019/07/01/can-ai-get-too-clever/

More lack of privacy:

• 2017: “Lack of privacy through new technology will create social division and breakdown” https://www.mdpi.com/journal/information/special_issues/End_of_Privacy  https://vicgrout.net/2019/01/25/youre-not-my-dad-the-kettle-said-so/
• 2018 That was an easy one: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dna-test-kits-creating-family-rifts-82cxlblmp  but also  https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/opinion–consumer-dna-testing-is-crossing-into-unethical-territories-64650

Technocapitalism:

• 2015: “Emerging technology in the hands of capitalism will kill us all in a few years” https://vicgrout.net/2016/09/15/technocapitalism/  and  https://vicgrout.net/2018/01/02/dude-you-broke-the-future/
• 2019: Anyone listening yet?