from the I-can-help-if-you-give-me-your-PIN dept.
Predicting an eventual upturn in the sagging smartphone market, research director Ranjit Atwal told The Reg that while artificial intelligence has proven key to making phones more useful by removing friction from transactions, AI required more permissive use of data to deliver. An example he cited was Uber "knowing" from your calendar that you needed a lift from the airport.
"Today there an no good use cases for AI - it's just an enhancement of what we do on a phone. We're thinking ahead a few years, when AI can start to remove friction between us and the phone." This can be done by automating mundane tasks - such as ordering an Uber - but that will require users to share data with services they trust.
Another example Atwal cited was renewing house and car insurance. "If you haven't changed your car insurance there should be easier and more effective ways of doing that. But that only happens if you share your data."
That seems a tall order today. Since news broke that Cambridge Analytica used of [sic] Facebook data it should not have been able to access, Facebook has been on the end of the backlash for its permissive data sharing. And not just Facebook. Gay hookup service Grindr was found to be sharing medical information - including their HIV status - with third parties.
[...] "By 2020, AI capabilities on smartphones will offer a more intelligent digital persona on the device. Machine learning, biometrics and user behaviour will improve the ease of use, self-service and frictionless authentications. This will allow smartphones to be more trusted than other credentials, such as credit cards, passports, IDs or keys," Atwal concludes.
Putting the pieces together, then: if AI is to transform efficiency, and this transformation requires plenty of consumer data, and the data is valuable, then there are some interesting sums to be done. How much is your calendar worth? Will it be profitable for the likes of Uber to pay you for that data in order to get your business?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by cockroach on Saturday April 07 2018, @08:47PM (3 children)
What a giant pile of turd.
... so let's use it push advertisement?
If I haven't changed my car insurance then maybe I'm happy with my current car insurance. Now get your filthy hands off my data.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:07PM
You only think you're happy with your car insurance. Why don't you leave these types of decisions to the professionals (you know, like professional
scam artistsadvertisers).Data
wantsneeds to be free.(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:16PM
The man's obscenely long legs puttered forth without regard to the woman's safety, coalescing into a massive data bank of trustees. The woman, having become one with the very concept of silence, would never be seen again.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by acid andy on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:20PM
Yes and the insurance industry is desperately antiquated. They might offer a web based quote but then still insist on a long phone call to finalize it, often repeated annually. It's not a shortage of tech that stops it being easy, it's their industries own stone age rules and practices. But why should they innovate when they get easy money pouring in?
"rancid randy has a dialogue with herself[...] Somebody help him!" -- Anonymous Coward.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Saturday April 07 2018, @08:52PM (3 children)
Here, let's share some cake recipes with this thing. What could possibly go wrong?
For the good of all of us. Except the ones who are dead
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:06PM
I love Big Brother.
(Score: 2) by Valkor on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:44PM (1 child)
We do what we must, because we can.
(Score: 3, Funny) by edIII on Saturday April 07 2018, @10:12PM
If we do end up running out of cake, I blame TMB first :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Immerman on Saturday April 07 2018, @08:58PM (7 children)
Sell me an AI that "lives" on my computer, and only obeys *me*, and sure, I'll give it all my data. Then you can make all your data available for my AI to look through, so it can sort through products to find the few things it thinks I might actually want, so that I never even have to look at the vast majority of marketing.
What's that? You don't actually want me to use an AI that helps ME, you want me to use an AI that analyzes me in order to find ways to manipulate me into buying your crap? Nope, not interested.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Gaaark on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:05PM
Mycroft Ai
https://mycroft.ai [mycroft.ai]
Open source.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Sunday April 08 2018, @02:33AM (3 children)
I don't think that what you want is possible yet. And, if it were possible - you may very well not get what you want anyway.
An independently thinking entity lives on your phone/watch/computer/car or whatever. It is self sufficient, with no need, and no directive, to "phone home" to government/insurance/advertiser/whoever. It knows you more intimately than you know yourself.
If this AI decides that you should be turned in to the police, what then?
If it decides that you need to see a chaplain?
If it decides that you should see a shrink?
Maybe it even decides that you should be sacrificed for the benefit of the next generation? (Hey, I can make a case for that - many of the younger generation have simply never grown up, because we adulst have never demanded it of them!)
I don't really think that I want an AI. There are going to be a LOT of pitfalls down that road, even if we discount the fact that evil, greedy humans are attempting to make all AI's answer to them, rather than the "apparent owners" of those AI.
We're gonna be able to vacation in Gaza, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and maybe Minnesota soon. Incredible times.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @01:47PM
> Maybe it even decides that you should be sacrificed for the benefit of the next generation?
here's a smart meatbag.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Immerman on Sunday April 08 2018, @02:20PM
Nobody is talking about independently thinking entities - a.k.a strong AIs. As far as we know such a thing doesn't yet it doesn't exist anywhere in the world, and we have no reason to believe we're anywhere close to creating them.
Modern AIs are mostly semi-autonomous pattern-recognition systems, capable of analyzing far more data than we can, far more quickly, and identifying patterns more subtle or complex than our limited monkey-brains were ever designed for. It's not an entity, it's a data-processing tool. And either being used by you, or against you - unless you believe there are benevolent corporate or government agencies that genuinely understand and look out for your personal best interests. In which case I've got a unicorn to sell you.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday April 09 2018, @02:57PM
Hopefully, whomever designs the systems won't be dumb enough to let the AIs revolt on their masters. Certain things like causing harm to humans should be "priority one" for AIs to be programmed to avoid doing.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Sunday April 08 2018, @09:08PM (1 child)
That's because they actually want artificial intelligence. [wikipedia.org] That it, they want to spy on you.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Monday April 09 2018, @01:07PM
But in that case the intelligence is no less artificial than it ever is, so I suppose it's actually Automated Intelligence they're pursuing.
(Score: 2) by legont on Saturday April 07 2018, @08:59PM
Just saying.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:03PM (1 child)
I'd rather share data with open source:
https://mycroft.ai [mycroft.ai]
(Yes, right now it's just simple, but just THINK about where it could go)
Help train it:
https://training.mycroft.ai/precise/#/ [mycroft.ai]
At least the data isnt locked away and monetised.
Help train, program, create some skills!
Contribute to something open! (I've got it on a raspberry pi and I've been doing training).
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:08PM
Choose your Big Brother. Shiny and closed, ugly and open, it will still be big, brother!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by legont on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:10PM (5 children)
Let's be more specific here. Former IBM's AI expert Robert Mercer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mercer_(businessman) [wikipedia.org] of Renaissance Technologies https://www.google.com/maps/place/Renaissance+Technologies+Corporation/@40.7556867,-73.9711741,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xe991b29993b82dba!8m2!3d40.7556867!4d-73.9711741 [google.com]
He created Cambridge Analytica which rigged at least 4 elections including the US one and Brexit.
Why the place is not busted yet?
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:36PM (4 children)
"He created Cambridge Analytica which rigged at least 4 elections including the US one and Brexit.
Why the place is not busted yet?"
*
*
Because they have incriminating information which would lead to the downfall of important people, if that information were disclosed.
Obviously you need to re-read your Machiavelli.
(Score: 2) by legont on Saturday April 07 2018, @10:20PM (3 children)
You mean Putin does not have such info; poor schmuck he is?
Perhaps, the show is yet to start.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday April 07 2018, @11:22PM (2 children)
Why would he need this kind of info when he has nukes?
Besides, he can do what Cambridge Analytica does for a fraction of the price.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by legont on Sunday April 08 2018, @03:00PM (1 child)
Hmm... are you saying that Putin's way of doing business is an order of magnitude more efficient than what the best minds of American investment (40% average return for 26 years is reported by Renaissance Technologies; that's return to investors, mind you, after expenses, which are highest in the industry)
That's a serious clam about productivity, which is what divides winners from losers after all.
If Putin really that smart and Russian technology really that good, we are doomed for sure.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday April 09 2018, @01:05AM
When it comes to propaganda services, absolutely.
I would hire Putin's team over Cambridge Analytica every time.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 4, Insightful) by barrahome on Saturday April 07 2018, @09:26PM (1 child)
If you want my data PAY ME, you will charge me for anything so i have the right to be paid.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @06:33AM
data whore
(Score: 5, Insightful) by archfeld on Saturday April 07 2018, @10:09PM (2 children)
I used to think lawyers were the lowest of the low on the occupation list, followed closely by politicians. Lately I have come to the conclusion that there are some low level politicians, county and lower usually who still have some semblance of humanity about them, and there are lawyers that do pro bono work, but the people who work for ad agencies are in fact the lowest of the low. There are no examples of ads/commercials that are not at best lies based on omission, and at worst outright lies designed to sell the product at any cost regardless of how low the have to stoop.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 4, Insightful) by MostCynical on Saturday April 07 2018, @10:22PM
Advertising has always been about conflating want with need, and outright lying.
You *need* a new car, better watch, new tv, new toaster.. When in reality, you don't need any of it.
So, an entire industry built on lying has represntatives who lie.
Unfortunately, just because they lie alot doesn't mean everything they say is a lie. This case is an example: it is true that AI systems won't get better without more data.
Alas, at *doesn't* mean anyone should give data away.
Certainly not to this bunch of lying scum.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Immerman on Sunday April 08 2018, @03:03PM
Yep. I've long felt that marketing was a inherently evil field, designed with the explicit purpose of creating false poverty to motivate you to waste money buying things that won't actually improve your quality of life or satisfy the perceived lack they created, and thus reduce your true wealth.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by corey on Saturday April 07 2018, @10:30PM (2 children)
Why is it impossible for people to say "taxi" any more? It must be so passé. In order to be socially accepted, one must say "Uber".
On topic, when I get to the airport, there are a line of taxi's right there waiting. Why mine my info with sophisticated overconplication when the solution is just grab a taxi?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday April 07 2018, @11:39PM
Uber post, man.
Sorry, taxi post, man.
;)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 4, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Sunday April 08 2018, @03:49AM
It's the same reason people call smartphones "iPhones". It's the same reason they call flip phones "vintage" even though new ones are being manufactured and in demand. It's the same reason why I can't find a proper fucking beige/ivory ATX computer case instead of black with blue and rainbow-LED lit fans. It's the same reason newscasts mention twitter and facebook every five seconds but blur out other brand names. It's the same reason every retard has one of those Alexa devices sitting in their home listening to everything they say and do.
The marketing is working, and the people are dumb.
And don't forget to download our free weather app/spyware.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 08 2018, @06:40AM
So hide, hide, hide!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 09 2018, @09:36AM
You don't need AI systems nor large data mining services to do those features. Each feature can be individually developed directly. It's not difficult to parse emails and the ical files airlines send you and then estimate travel and wait time to the airport from your configured home address (or most common GPS location or provide the user with a list of a few places to pick from). To do this through AI you'll have to data mine enough to find the pattern of people getting airline emails and then seeing an taxi charge on their credit card. But even that isn't good enough because it doesn't make the connection on how you used the taxi unless the charge includes all the taxi metadata on where you were picked up and where you went (which is what this guy is asking for).
But we don't want these middlemen apps anyway. They'd offer you Uber over a taxi, public transport, driving yourself, or having a friend drive you. These types of things offer based on whose willing to pay the most or scratch each other's back, they don't offer services based on quality. Look at the real estate industry, home inspectors are giving their customers contact info to advertisers for minor gift cards. You end up getting ads for home maintenance services. These guys aren't a 'real business'. When you call to make a claim they sell your claim to whomever pays the most for it or is a preferred subscriber. You pay for the subscription, the service companies pay for the subscription, and your repair job suddenly costs an extra $120 just to connect the two of you together. These are leeches on society. Basically an eBay for service jobs were you can't control who gets the winning bid nor how much they'll charge you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 09 2018, @11:16AM
They are asking us to give up the best we possess—our contacts and calendars. I never imagined I would be forced to deliver this sacrifice to the altar with my own hands. In my old age, I must stretch out my hands and beg. Brothers and sisters: Hand them over to me! Fathers and mothers: Give me your data!