Emerging Threats: Facebook Whistleblower Warns of VR and AI Risks

Emerging Threats: Facebook Whistleblower Warns of VR and AI Risks

Facebook Whistleblower Warns of Emerging Threats

A former Facebook data scientist turned whistleblower, Sophie Zhang, has shared her concerns about emerging threats posed by virtual reality and AI. While laws to fix social media platforms will eventually come, Zhang warns that we need to start thinking about how to regulate these new technologies before they become too embedded in our lives.

Virtual Reality

Zhang’s fear about virtual reality (VR) is that it will blur the line between reality and the digital world in ways that we can’t even begin to comprehend. She argues that VR is not just another platform, but a separate reality with its own set of rules and challenges. This raises questions about how we regulate the content that people experience in these digital worlds and how we ensure that people don’t become addicted or experience negative effects.

Artificial Intelligence

Similarly, Zhang highlights concerns about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), which could be used to micro-target individuals for political purposes or to create increasingly dangerous deepfake content. She suggests that we need to start thinking about how we can regulate these technologies before they become too widespread and pose a risk to society.

Social Media Regulation

Zhang also spoke about the need for laws to regulate social media platforms like Facebook. She argued that social media algorithms are often designed to keep users engaged and can promote misinformation and harmful content, leading to real-world harm. She suggested that laws could be put in place to regulate these platforms and ensure that they are serving the public good, rather than prioritizing profits.

Summary

The Facebook whistleblower, Sophie Zhang, has highlighted concerns about the emerging threats posed by virtual reality and artificial intelligence. While laws to regulate social media platforms will eventually come, Zhang warns that we need to start thinking about how to regulate these new technologies before they become too embedded in our lives. Her concerns about VR and AI include the potential for addiction, negative effects, and the misuse of these technologies for political purposes or the creation of deepfake content. Zhang argues that we need to ensure that these technologies are being used in a way that benefits society and doesn’t cause real-world harm.

Looks like it’s time for us to put on our virtual reality helmets and start thinking about how we’ll regulate these digital worlds. And while we’re at it, let’s make sure that our artificial intelligence overlords don’t get any funny ideas.

Original Article: https://www.wired.com/story/frances-haugen-book-the-power-of-one-interview/


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