>Algorithms already can construct pretty accurate models of a person’s preferences based on physical activities, including typing search terms or tapping to “li

>Algorithms already can construct pretty accurate models of a person’s preferences based on physical activities, including typing search terms or tapping to “like” a photo. While there are high hopes that reconstructing words and music from neural activity could enable applications that promote mental health and social connection, reading and interpreting thoughts is regarded as the next privacy frontier. Uncannily, this reminds me of a popular German cartoon from 1819 titled "The Thinkers Club" (Der Denker-Club) [0] which had the slogan: How long will be thinking allowed?" (Wie lange möchte uns noch das Denken wohl noch erlaubt bleiben?) It was meant to satirize the clamp down on liberal and nationalist ideas by restricting the freedom of assembly and press as a way to follow through the European Restauration after the Napoleonic Wars. In the current asymmetry of giant tech corporations (in bed with government) I find the idea of further breaking any privacy walls whatsoever by trojan horsing it with mental health and social connection and declaring it a new frontier just totally backwards. I think as with liberal and nationalistic ideas back in the day we should value privacy not try just to let it go for ultimately what? Dissolve ourselves into AGI superseding Gaia: Le monde, c'est moi! But maybe I'm the old-fashioned one, here. [0]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsbad_Decrees https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsbad_Decrees