Is Siri iRobot’s Sister?

Like most people, I was exceedingly happy about the addition of Siri to the two most recent iteration’s of Apple’s widely popular iPhone. Touted as a “personal assistant”, her ability to research information, manage your calendar,  and even crack a joke or two here and there (see attached photo), made her a (mostly) pleasant addition to the already capable device. During my mom’s first encounter with Siri, she expressed hesitations around using such software and reminded me how artificial intelligence ran amuck in the blockbuster hit “iRobot.” I laughed (my mom is pretty anti-technology) and dismissed her concerns as unfounded. Then I ran across this YouTube video and realized that my mom wasn’t the only one with these concerns (or at least ideas).

In light of the cases, documents, and statutes we’ve been reading in Privacy, I have become much more aware of how I’ve underestimated the capabilities of modern technology. Not only am I receiving information but information is being collected from me and potentially transmitted to third parties with my “consent” but often without my knowledge. That revelation caused me to think more critically about my mother’s waring. Could Siri be iRobot’s sister? 

While perhaps a little paranoid to think that my hand-held device will turn evil/well-intended dictator, it is not far-fetch to analogize the amount of information Siri is collecting about me to the amount maintained by the artificial intelligence beings in iRobot. Siri knows my schedule, my searches, and potentially things I’m using the phone for even when I’m not using her application. This substantial amount of tells a great deal about my life. Enough for third parties to tailor marketing efforts, monitor my activities, or do a host of other things. The more widely used this technology becomes, the more potential there is to do those things on a macro level. 

I don’t have any insightful answers for this juxtaposition but I think it is worth considering whether this burgeoning use of artificial intelligence among the general public will be the impetus for new legislative privacy protection efforts. What does this technology mean for data mining/brokering? What will it mean for law enforcement and national security? I think that answers to those questions are in the much nearer future than I thought when I dismissed my mother’s caution.