Zuckerberg wants Facebook to be a 'mind reader'
I think Facebook has a serious problem with the proper handling of users' personal information. Those concerned must have been thrilled to hear Mark Zuckerberg speak at Harvard.
Zuckerberg visited Harvard University in February 2019. He continued his personal journey through a year of dialogue with experts on the role technology plays in the "opportunities, challenges, hopes and anxieties" that exist in society. As part of that, I came to Harvard.
And with Facebook cameras and students watching, I met with Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard Law School professor, for nearly two hours. The discussion centered around Facebook, which has become an unprecedented presence with nearly 2 billion people.
The initially humble Zuckerberg
Facebook was being criticized from all sides, according to the young CEO. Others accused it of indifference to escalating racial conflicts on its platform. It was also accused of using rough censorship in deciding what posts were allowed.
Zuckerberg "confessed" that he never sought to be in such a position of responsibility. He also said no one should be. “If I were a different person, what would I want the CEO of the company to be able to do? "
That's why they decided to create an institution to act as the Supreme Court, Zuckerberg said. The idea is to have an outside committee handle the thorny issues that arise on Facebook. "I will not be able to make decisions that would overturn [the committee's] opinion," he promised. "I think it's appropriate."
So far, the meeting has been going well. Zuckerberg displayed a likable humility both about himself and his own company. But then, when he started talking about new technologies that he hoped to see in the future, the familiar Silicon Valley arrogance returned.
A World Controlled by Your Brain
The promising technology he described is Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), which Facebook has been researching for some time. With this interface, users will be able to operate augmented reality (AR) just by thinking in their heads.
Related article: A few questions about Facebook's next ambition to 'connect brains and computers'
As WIRED's founding executive editor Kevin Kelly noted in his recent article "Mirrorworld: AR's Next Big Platform" It is a world that can be controlled by The user does not have to enter commands, nor does he need to state them. Therefore, there is no need to stop or slow down when interacting with the AR world. Whether it's displaying information or instructions on the highway while you're driving, checking each participant's profile during a meeting, or moving 3D models of furniture around your room. Thing.
The audience at Harvard University was a little baffled by Zuckerberg's timing to start such a story. So Zitrain made a joke that sounds like a law professor. The constitution recognizes the right to remain silent even in the presence of technology that can eavesdrop on people's minds. “The meaning of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (which stipulates the right to remain silent) is wavering,” he said, prompting laughter from the audience.
Will Facebook one day take a peek inside your brain?
However, the response to such a modest challenge has been the kind of defense often offered by tech giants accused of violating users' privacy and consent. was the words. "Probably," Zuckerberg said. “Someone will choose to use these technologies as products.”