One of the biggest things that stuck with me from our last class discussion was finding out some of the ways that information is being collected.
One thing that I did not know relates to cookies. I have often heard that it is a good idea to do research and check flight costs well ahead of booking a flight. However, I found out that since cookies are tracking things, if you see a flight for a certain cost and showed interest, you won’t see a flight for less.
That is just scary, and very unfair.
Other than that, one of the things we kept talking about was that balance between wanting that customized experience of seeing ads that actually apply to what we want compared to our right to privacy.
If they can track that you like purple shoes, they can also track whether you liked Trump or Clinton, even if you never shared that information directly.
One thing I’ve always found strange is that I see ads for things I’ve already purchased, which leads me to wonder when AI is going to catch up in these areas and realize that I don’t need to see ads for a master’s program where I am already enrolled.
That would be convenient. Then again, it’s a little scary to think how much algorithms can figure out about you. I don’t want computers to understand me that well…or maybe I do.
When will all of this be added to an ethics seminar? That’s the real question.
Peggy Trujillo 