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Google, like almost every other technology company, has decided to bring AI into every possible product in 2024. This isn’t all that surprising since Google was one of the first pioneers of consumer technology AI and has been hiding it in plain sight for years. AI is the new hot buzzword, so all bets are off.
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One of the longest-running technology columns on the web, Android & Chill is a Saturday discussion about Android, Google, and technology in general.
Much of what Google has shown us is coming soon or already here. There are other picturesque mochi projects that will never see the light of day. Remember Project Loon? Both genuine products and products that never make it to market have one thing in common: they can be privacy nightmares.
This is also nothing new for Google. Due to the way the company operates; have It’s a little on the invasive side. When data is the driving force behind revenue generation, it is collected and analyzed. Nothing in life is free, not even Gmail.
Much of what comes next will be managed locally thanks to some of Gemini Nano’s features. I don’t want Google to be listening to my calls, but as long as they’re on my phone and not in some cloud server room, I’m not going to worry about that. Similarly, the “new” Gmail uses AI to help you manage your inbox. I don’t care because that data is already in Google’s cloud. You might even be able to turn it on.
Some other examples were a little more alarming.
Google sees all your information and Google never forgets
Google also showed off some ideas that could make your privacy nightmare a reality. You may soon have to worry about Google’s object recognition just as much as you worry about Google’s facial recognition.
Project Astra was probably the coolest announcement in Google’s awful I/O keynote. What we have seen is a conversational assistant that can see and hear everything we can and act on the information it collects.
A lot of people were paying attention to the next-generation Google Glass that was shown off in the demo, but what caught my attention was when Astra said, “Your glasses are on the table next to the red apple.” did. 🚨🚨
I’m not going to lie. This can be a useful tool for many people in many different ways. I joked that I’d never lose my remote again, but it actually has a practical use. For example, where is my EpiPen or emergency inhaler? In most cases, finding one of these is a little more important than finding your keys.
But there are always problems, and some serious problems can arise from here. Imagine a subpoena for Google’s user data, with Astra asking if you’ve seen any contraband in your home. Anything from marijuana to ammunition to birth control could be incriminating, and if Google had access to this data, it would be subject to lawful subpoenas. You have to do that.
I don’t care what you do in the house, so I don’t condone illegal activities. Also, I’m not saying that tools used this way are always bad. Police may need all the help they can get. I’m just saying it could happen.
Google knowing your car’s license plate number may seem harmless, but it’s potentially far more dangerous. Lo and behold, this is convenient and helpful in many ways, but of course it also has its problems.
Google can scan all your photos and see which ones are of cars. With location data, you can not only see which photos were taken, but also see how many times a particular car has been shown to determine which car is yours. Then read the license plate number and track it.
It seems innocuous until you consider how this data is cross-referenced. A judge can sign a subpoena requesting photos or data of the vehicle that was at the crime scene when the crime was committed.
It may help catch criminals, but it’s just as likely that someone will be taken to the police station to answer questions because they stopped at a Circle K for a snack or drink just before committing a robbery. .
This type of object recognition trained through photography goes beyond car license plates.
Such tools are powerful, but that also means they can be dangerous. Google is very good at this kind of development, and I don’t think about how this technology will be used by the military or law enforcement, but it will be in high demand.
That means Google needs to get it right. And it’s possible. Clear and concise information about what the technology does, an overview of how it does it, the data it holds and its encryption status is essential. If Google doesn’t start there, nothing else matters.Probably most people[OK]You won’t read anything until you tap the button, but it should be written in plain language.
The next step is to opt in to all of this. If you don’t say, “I want it!”, you don’t understand it.Google is The usual Very good things about this, but there were also “mistakes” that just pushed something new and invasive onto you.
Finally, you need to separate these features from all other features. If there’s a problem, shut it down, fix it, push the fix to everyone, then turn it back on. We can’t afford to wait for Motorola to decide to update their phones to fix this important thing.
I’m cautiously optimistic. I have no doubt that Google can do the cool new tricks they’ve shown us. Because Google is already doing something equally complex and amazing. I also believe that tools like Astra can be useful in a variety of situations, and I’ll probably use them as long as the terminology makes sense to me.
Unfortunately, I’m worried that Google will make some privacy mistakes along the way. It wouldn’t be a Google product without them.
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