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New wave of wearable devices will collect even more data about us

Wearable smart devices are nothing new with the Apple watch probably being the most iconic. Other smart wristwatches, glasses and now even shirt pins become popular in many households.

Personally, I believe smart wearable devices are here to stay. They’re becoming so integrated in our lives and culture, with the watches being the most prominent, that they will be hard to get rid of even if we would want to. The advantages of using such devices are many, ranging from health benefits to generally easier interaction with technology.

AI and wearable devices

Our interactions with technology are no longer limited to typing commands on a keyboard with the help of a computer mouse. Computers now understand what we say to them and can discern gestures and signs we make. Likewise, when the computer speaks back to us it’s not limited to printing letters on screen in matrix style, but are now able to talk back in our own language.

This will most likely change how we interact with computers on a more fundamental scale. No longer are operating system with flashy functions and huge in-your-face buttons going to be needed to guide the user toward the right apps or settings. Instead, we’ll be speaking with the OS and voice our demands and it will answer with voice or easy-to-understand diagrams and images.

This will allow for new types of devices the likes of witch we’ve never even imaged before. Neuralink is an extreme example of wearables, being worn inside our bodies, while the Google Glasses released a while back is another way of enhancing our view of reality. New types will inevitably present themselves soon.

Privacy concern

With new technology comes new types of information farming for our dear advertisers, governments, and others. Wearables are, as the name suggests, worn on the body. This allow the wearable for collecting other types of data than, e.g. a phone or a computer. Almost all watches collect health data like pulse and movements as standard with some collecting additional information.

With a phone you can collect some information, like that of a phone call, text message, surfing habits, etc.

With a watch connected, you can correlate this information with excitement levels when opening an advertisement email, eye-tracking to see how well a specific ad is doing, or perhaps how your pulse is elevated when speaking to your wife, boss, or someone else.

Final thoughts

The more types of devices we add on top of this mountain of “smart” stuff, the more data we give away. Our car is one of the worst privacy intruders, to name one example. Imagine a world wherein your pulse and excitement levels are carefully measured and correlated to your car driving and then sent to your insurance company.

There are, of course upsides to this as well! You could ask Google for help to improve your bed game based on your- and your partner’s excitement levels in different phases of the courtship.

The one with the data will know the most about the individual being meassured.

I truly believe Brian Roemmele is on to something with his drive to create a personal, local, AI companion who’s there to assist you in your endeavours. Keyword is “local”, as in you own the data yourself.

2024-04-22 11:34

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