Through several posts, as highlighted below, we looked at how companies track us. Often, without our knowledge or consent. But with eyes on you everywhere, we should know of the positive ways in which tracking may be used.
Past articles to review include:
- Retargeting as a Valuable – Yet Questionable – Tool
- Tips to Better Avoid Online Tracking
- When People Will Accept Facial Recognition
- Digital Privacy Is Still a Big Issue
- Applying Artificial Intelligence
Good Or Bad — Eyes on You Everywhere
According to Katherine Bindley, reporting for the Wall Street Journal:
“At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, products that pair cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence have a compelling offer: We will make your life safer and more convenient — you just have to be OK with a little more monitoring than you might be used to.”
“Tech companies are easing us into gadgets and services that make use of virtual eyes and ears for a while now. Millions of people use virtual assistants that listen for wake words and record what follows. More airports use facial recognition to speed up travel. And, at least in San Francisco, being followed around by cameras in a cashierless store isn’t really creepy anymore, just a regular part of grabbing lunch.”
“Potential applications of technology are both amazing and disconcerting. Object detection means knowing you’re about to leave your keys or your bag in an Uber. Face and body analytics will allow automatic adjustment of a steering wheel to just the right position. As well as the deployment of a size-appropriate air bag, depending on who Is in a given seat. Activity, cognition, and emotion analytics systems will detect if you eat, text, or look away from the road for too long. So that the car responds accordingly. If a child screams in the back seat, calming music could be cued up. And if you seem distracted, some of the cars autopilot features might kick in to assist you.”
“At the same time, it isn’t hard to imagine hypothetical scenarios in which such detailed data could be used against a driver. What if your distraction-level data were available to your insurer? Or to lawyers on the opposing side of a lawsuit over liability for an accident?”
Now, check out the WSJ video.