Google Researcher: Facebook Can Simultaneously Measure Everything About Us, Control the Information We Consume

Google Deep Learning researcher François Chollet took to Twitter recently to outline Facebook’s use of “digital information consumption” as a “psychological control vector,” while also describing the company’s interest in A.I., adding “Personally, it really scares me.”

In a long thread of tweets, Google Deep Learning researcher François Chollet discussed the problem facing Facebook going forward and the risks that users take putting their personal information on the platform. He also discussed the dangers that artificial intelligence could pose when given access to the data of billions of users, and how Facebook could use A.I. to shape and manipulate users.

Chollet notes that as Facebook becomes many peoples’ main source of news, and as they control what content and news is seen on their platform, they are beginning to shape the worldview and politics of users.

Chollet warns that combined with an advanced Artificial Intelligence, Facebook could begin to easily manipulate users as they see fit.

Chollet is particularly worried about Facebook’s recent investments in A.I. and warns that this could have a devastating impact on the future. He adds that Facebook’s A.I. initiatives scare him.

He finished his tweetstorm by urging anyone that works in A.I. not to work for Facebook:

However, it was pointed out by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that Google is allegedly taking part in many of the same practices as Facebook, and that they may reach the goal that Chollet warns about sooner than Facebook.

Read Chollet’s full thread of tweets here.