Lots of bad ideas have "fascinating implications" should they actually take root.
Here's what Apple wants to do:
Apple Inc. is working on technology to help diagnose depression and cognitive decline, aiming for tools that could expand the scope of its burgeoning health portfolio, according to people familiar with the matter and documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Using an array of sensor data that includes mobility, physical activity, sleep patterns, typing behavior and more, researchers hope they can tease out digital signals associated with the target conditions so that algorithms can be created to detect them reliably, the people said. Apple hopes that would become the basis for unique features for its devices, according to the people and documents.
The "me" of a decade ago would applaud this noble use of technology to better people's health.
The "me" of 2021 knows that things like this – or Apple's backdoor to scan your photos for child pornography – might have the best intentions, but that the road to hell is paved with those.
By collecting and compiling a dossier of biometric data, Apple is attempting to predict mental health and diagnose various cognitive problems.
There's "lots of promise here" says Rolfe Winkler... and every petty tyrant with an Orwellian bent who has been empowered by the last 18 months of coronasanity.
If you follow that link, it takes you to a page that lists 10 moods Apple is working on predicting based on what words you type.
There's probably NOTHING that could happen in a future where Big Tech companies begin tracking every keystroke you make and filtering it through algorithms to predict your mood!
Make sure not to type the words "Jesus," "liberty," "Christian," "Second Amendment," "tyranny," "Constitution," "church," or "MAGA"!
It's only at this point that Winkler notes "privacy concerns" before discussing how the autism detection might work.
Apple is launching this initiative in 2021 with 3,000 volunteers, and partner pharmaceutical company Biogen will enroll 20,000 over the next two years for its part in studying cognitive impairment.
People had some thoughts about all this.
At least we can rest assured that our future high-tech prisons have "fascinating implications"!
