by Steve Johnson / © 2015, San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Like legions of hyperactive butlers, many of the brainy gadgets being developed for the Internet of Things will anticipate our needs and make choices for us—without being told what to do—marking a momentous transformation in our relationship with machines.
As we turn more of our decision-making over to the devices, they will evolve into our personal confidants and counselors, determining everything from the time we wake up and clothes we wear to the music we listen to and route we take to work. In the process, experts say, our reliance on these interconnected tools will far surpass today’s dependence on smartphones.
These autonomous assistants are widely expected to help us stay healthier, take better care of our loved ones, live more comfortably, become more environmentally responsible, and boost our productivity.
A loss of creativity on the horizon?
But social scientists and others worry these computerized devices might make decisions that are seriously flawed or that we otherwise dislike, leaving us feeling less in control of our lives. More troublingly, their ceaseless surveillance could result in an excessively conformist society, some experts fear.
“When we’re not being tracked, we’re more free to experiment, to be our authentic selves, to read new things, to be different kinds of people,” said Neil Richards, a law professor and privacy specialist at Washington University. But such omnipresent monitoring, he believes, “menaces our society’s foundational commitments to intellectual diversity and eccentric individuality.”
Understanding such effects is crucial, experts say, because the technology is rapidly being adopted. About 13 percent of consumers already have outfitted their homes with a smart thermostat, security camera or other device, according to an Internet-of-Things study by consulting firm Accenture. Within five years, it added, that figure will likely hit 69 percent.
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