Echoing the ominous undercurrents of a popular science fiction series, reality is seemingly donning the chilling attire of a dystopian narrative. With Google cast in a role that eerily resembles the omnipresent ‘Machine’ from ‘Person of Interest’, the lines between on-screen drama and our digital existence are blurring, setting the stage for a disconcerting spectacle.  The plot thickens with a class-action lawsuit filed against Google, Alphabet, and their AI subsidiary DeepMind over alleged data scraping for training their AI models.

Allegations Against Google: An Unauthorized Harvest of Data

The litigants allege the tech titan has been secretly mining data from millions of unsuspecting internet users, feeding this valuable information to its AI products. The parallels to our fictional ‘Machine’ are unsettling, suggesting our world is veering closer to a panoptic surveillance state.

Reacting to these startling accusations, Google’s general counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, promptly dismissed them as “baseless“. Yet, the echoes of our sci-fi allegory are hard to ignore, jolting the tech industry, and raising profound questions about AI ethics and our rapidly eroding privacy.

This real-life drama brings to light the perturbing implications of unrestricted AI development. It forces us to confront the chilling possibility of our society morphing into a panopticon under the surveillance of all-seeing AI systems. Is our reality doomed to mimic the dystopian narratives we’ve only witnessed on our screens?

Looking Ahead: The Need for Transparent AI Practices

As we find ourselves embedded in a plot eerily reminiscent of a discarded sci-fi script, it’s clear that the grand specter of AI is looming larger than ever over our notion of privacy. The lawsuit against Google raises profound questions that have, until now, been confined to dystopian science fiction. How do we traverse this ethical minefield that AI development presents? Are we on the precipice of an AI-induced dystopia? In this unnerving drama, the world watches with bated breath as we teeter on the edge of a reality once reserved for our television screens.

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The GDPR, on the face of it, seems fairly simple. Data subjects, including all employees, end users, customers, etc, are empowered to file a claim against an entity if their data is not protected according to the new regulations. And if the claim is seen as valid, the EU has the right to levy substantial fines for violations – up to €20 million or 4% of the total annual revenue of the company. Large companies with substantial revenue could face unbelievable fines if found in violation. The shocking part of this story is that less than half of US companies (according to a recent survey by Imperva), are preparing to make the necessary changes to protect themselves from this sort of fine. The reality is that for businesses working in the EU, the time for preparation is now. Fines could be huge and a lack of preparedness could significantly injure the company.

There are a number of important things that should happen immediately if a company is wanting to protect itself from the potential dangers inherent in this new law. First, companies should begin by identifying what personal data they are in possession of, based on the specific legal requirements. Next, companies should analyze how much of that personal data is currently at risk of exposure. This step would require a careful analysis of where personal data is stored within the company infrastructure, and who has access to that particular portion of infrastructure. Finally, a company should take necessary measures to ensure that access to those portions of their internal infrastructure is carefully secured. Failure to take these preventative steps could potentially have negative impacts.

There are some third party software options that can help you prepare for this event. IBM offers a very useful security suite called the Security Guardium. The software allows you to locate the points where your personal data is at risk and then will help you to fix any issues that it finds. It will also allow you to monitor the activity of different users and protect all personal data from unauthorized access. Finally, it carries an automated compliance evaluation which helps managers keep a constant watch over the potential threats and manage them rapidly.

With the tsunami of GDPR coming, it would be wise to start the process now. Whether companies utilize the IBM solution or take it in house, the warning is here, and preparation is key to success.

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