Is AI Spyware a Problem We will Have to Deal With?
AI has already had massive impacts in digital workspaces, recreating everything varying from code to art that humans take years to develop in seconds. Given the current pace of development in this technological revolution, it seems AI will soon be able to reach out of digital workspaces and take to performing physical tasks, such as basic tasks at home.
Humanoid robots are no new concept by any means - scientists have longed to create working, human-like androids ever since the first computers were developed. However, only with the recent developments in AI, it seems like this reality is quickly dawning upon us. Various tech companies, including Tesla, vow to create so many of these humanoid robots to outnumber the amount of people on Earth in assisting us in our daily tasks. Given the repetitiveness and lack of any sort of joy in menial daily tasks we do from day to day such as dishes and cleaning the house, it seems like robots are a much-needed replacement for human labor in the house. However, humanoid robots taking these functions, although they may provide short-term convenience, raise issues regarding our reliance on robots and safety that need to be addressed.
To see the issues that AI humanoid robots may bring when introduced to the public, we can take a look at a close predecessor, the robot vacuum cleaner. When first released, the robot vacuum has had many controversies surrounding it, regarding its easy-to-hack systems that allow hackers full access into personal lives, using in-built cameras and microphones that the owner never even knew of to gain private info. Exclusive studies by MIT have found that these vacuums are efficient at gathering data, and there have been hundreds of cases in the past where private info or photos were leaked online from the vacuums. Just with the amount of data issues that these small robot vacuums provide, the amount of data that the AI-powered humanoid can gain if they fall into the wrong hands is too great of a risk to ignore. Not only can they map your house, take photos and voice recordings with no knowledge, their ability to physically interact with the environment like the way humans do poses big security issues. Hackers may be able to commit crimes such as robbery, blackmailing or even physical threat to robot owners if they are able to get into the systems as easily as hackers are able to manipulate robot vacuums.
The risks of using smart devices are undebatable. Regardless of these obvious dangers, it would be impossible to omit the use of technology in our everyday life. Ultimately, it is the consumer’s decision on whether to purchase such products and risk their privacy for convenience. When making purchasing decisions, consumers should educate and make themselves aware of the risks they are exposing themselves to. Thankfully, consumers are smarter than robots to make smarter and wiser decisions
