Larry Ellison, AI and a future right out of ‘1984’

Larry Ellison, AI and a future right out of 1984
© Tatsiana Kuryanovich | Dreamstime.com

AI is all over the news and for good reason: Whoever controls AI controls geopolitics and economics. One big player in the AI world is Larry Ellison. He never finished college; he left to start building databases for the CIA. After that, he co-founded Oracle, and now, depending on the day, he’s the fourth-wealthiest person in the world.

Oracle is a $320 billion tech giant powering cloud computing, databases, and AI for businesses, governments and the military. When Larry talks about AI, I listen. His latest prediction? “Citizens will be on their best behavior.”

Uh, what?

During a recent Oracle investor meeting, Larry laid out his vision for AI-powered surveillance. Every cop will be watched at all times, he says. “If there’s a problem, AI will report that problem and report it to the appropriate person. We are constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on.”

This sure sounds like the telescreens that monitored every move in Orwell’s dystopia. They just happen to be security cameras, drones, doorbell cams, traffic cams, smartphones, smart TVs, store sensors, workplace monitoring systems, biometric scanners, license plate readers, AI-powered self-checkouts and other devices.

400 times every week

A 2020 study estimated the average American was recorded 238 times in a week. That’s 160 times by traffic and dash cams, 40 times at work, 24 times while running errands, and 14 more times from doorbell and home security cams.

Today, I’d say a more accurate estimate is closer to 400 to 500 times per week. That’s 60 to 70 times per day, or about once every 20 minutes while you’re awake.

Drones in high-speed chases?

Larry spoke about drones replacing police cars. “It’s very simple in the age of autonomous drones,” he says. Imagine a future where the next police chase is a swarm of drones locking onto their target.

I’m sure some network exec is already figuring out how to turn this concept into a reality show.

Surveillance is a double-edged sword

Larry’s right that AI could help us solve crimes faster and even prevent them. I’m all for that.

But there’s a fine line between security and a digital police state. If AI is watching, analyzing and reporting everything, who decides what’s suspicious? Who makes sure all this data isn’t used for social credit scores, behavioral tracking or even thought-policing?

So what can you do?

  • Stay informed. The more you know about AI, the better prepared you are.
  • Use privacy tools. VPNs, encrypted messaging apps and strong privacy settings on your devices can limit how much of your life is being tracked.
  • Push for transparency. Hold companies and lawmakers accountable. If AI is making decisions about you, you have the right to know how and why.

AI is learning, deciding and influencing our lives in ways we never imagined. The question is will we control it or will it control us?

🔐 Share this knowledge I just imparted upon you with someone in your life who needs it. Use the handy share icons below now, while you’re thinking about it, or just bring it up in a conversation, and they’ll say, “Dang, you are so smart!”

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Tags: network, security