Can Anyone Know Us Better Than We Know Ourself?

It appears the rise in technology and artificial intelligence has cultivated a far-fetched notion that through tracking and data mining, they can know us better than we know ourself. Does that seem plausible? The precursor to those statements outlines how to predict human behaviour. In order to control human behaviour, you have to be able to predict it.

Some people do have predictable patterns, and most of us have predictable routines. Do we all search the same topics on the Internet? Do we all use Alexa, Siri, FB, and Twitter? I doubt it. But there are certain predictable things we can observe about our surroundings.

We know that Friday afternoons before a long weekend tend to be busy. If you live on an island, you know when the ferry comes in. When you take public transit, you expect them to show up.

If our medical information gets hacked, we know that whatever is in those files, lab results, ER visits, prescription medications, and other sensitive information is compromised and exposed to God knows who? It makes me have much gratitude for managing to stay away from doctors.

But even if sensitive information is compromised – can they know a person better than they know themselves? In my opinion, they cannot – for many reasons. The main reason is the complexity of the brain, and the efficiency of storing memories and information in the brain. This information gives us cues to adapt our behaviours based on memory.

No one can call up the 80,000 thoughts flitting through the hallways of our brain each day, every day of the year – for a lifetime. Only the individual can be triggered by a smell, a memory, or a song stored in their own brain. No one else can predict that. Even the person for whom the memory was triggered is often surprised at how it surfaced. So how can AI know the nuances or intricacies of what is stored in a person’s memory?

No one can know the depth of another person’s soul. If they think they can predict people based on their Internet searches, medical information, and by monitoring Smart phones – it might turn out to be quite futile. One of the main reasons coding, Internet research, web development, gaming, block chain etc. is growing so fast, is because of open source opportunities. That gives things a scope and a creative realm that cannot be predicted.

The Internet and artificial intelligence contains a percentage of positive and edifying material. Just as it can be used for bad or nefarious reasons, it can be used for whatever reasons. We use it for work, for communicating, doing research, creating content, artistic endeavours, shopping, banking, calculating, navigating, and for all kinds of other things. It is so much easier than going to the library and taking out a bunch of books, then paying the library fines. Same thing as when we used to have to rent movies at the video store.

We can take the good, and find ways to protect ourselves. As far as the medical information is concerned, it is really too bad that privacy and confidentiality is no longer an assurance. I suppose with better encryption and database management, it might improve. But regardless, we should be cautious, and aware of the information that is put on our medical charts. Any information that is false or misleading should be clarified and remedied. This includes misdiagnosis, questionable lab results, or heresy history that might be given by someone with a motive to slander.

As far as predicting human behaviour, or AI knowing us better than we know ourselves – there is no way of doing so because people change. Often people have a change of heart before they have a change of mind. There is a contemplative phase when a person decides to make changes in their life. No one can know what the human mind is contemplating. We only know others based on what they communicate, and how they behave.