Due to AI, “We are about to enter the era of mass spying,” says Bruce Schneier

In a thought-provoking piece for Slate, Bruce Schneier warns about the potential of AI enabling mass spying, with AI systems being capable of automatically analyzing and summarizing large volumes of conversation data. This could lead to a new era of mass spying that is not limited to conversations on phones or computers and could extend to everywhere microphones are present, such as with voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. Schneier raises concerns about the shift from traditional surveillance to interpreting thoughts and discussions using AI-powered spying, which could have a chilling effect on society, impacting personal privacy and freedom of expression. He suggests that government regulation may be necessary to keep mass spying in check, and points to President Biden’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights and the European Union’s draft AI Act as potential steps in the right direction.