For the most part I’ve been optimistic when it comes to the future of AI, in the sense that I convinced myself that this was something we could learn to manage over time, but every single time I hop online to platforms besides fediverse-adjacent ones, I just get more and more depressed.
I have stopped using major platforms and I don’t contribute to them anymore, but as far as I’ve heard no publically accessible data - even in the fediverse - is safe. Is that really true? And is there no way to take measures that isn’t just waiting for companies to decide to put people, morals and the environment over profit?
There is one way to do it, and that’s regulation. We need the legislator to step in and settle what’s allowed and what’s disallowed with copyrighted content. And what companies can do with people’s personal/private data.
I don’t see a way around this. As a regular person, you can’t do much. You can hide and not interact with those companies and their platforms. But it doesn’t really solve the problem. I’d say it’s a political decision. Vote accordingly and write emails to your representative, and push them to do the right thing. Spread the word, collect signatures and make this a public debate. At least that’s something that happens where I’m from. It’s probably a lost cause if you’re from the USA, due to companies ripping off people being a big tradition. 😔