Beyond Deepfakes: The Unseen Threat of AI-Powered Wearables and Their Impact on Human Agency
The conventional view of AI as merely a tool is outdated, as AI is rapidly evolving into 'prosthetics' that will profoundly impact human agency. These aren't brain implants, but mainstream AI-powered wearables like smart glasses and earbuds, marketed as 'assistants' or 'coaches.' They will offer significant value, creating pressure for mass adoption, and will continuously monitor users' actions, location, and goals. Unlike traditional tools that amplify human input, these mental prosthetics form a feedback loop, accepting user input through tracking and conversation, and generating output that can immediately influence thinking. This constant, subtle influence, delivered as 'whispers' or 'guidance,' poses a deeper threat than deepfakes, as it could manipulate beliefs, purchasing decisions, and opinions without explicit user interaction.
Most people underestimate the significant threat AI will soon pose to human agency. The common belief that 'AI is just a tool,' with its benefits and dangers depending on human use, is considered old-school thinking. AI is transitioning from being tools we use to becoming prosthetics we wear, introducing substantial new threats for which we are currently unprepared. This shift does not refer to invasive brain implants. Instead, these AI-powered prosthetics will be mainstream products, readily available from retailers like Amazon or the Apple Store, and branded with friendly names such as 'assistants,' 'coaches,' 'co-pilots,' and 'tutors.' They are expected to provide genuine value in daily life, to such an extent that individuals will feel disadvantaged if others adopt them and they do not, thereby creating rapid pressure for widespread adoption.
The prosthetic devices in question are 'AI-powered wearables,' including items like smart glasses, pendants, pins, and earbuds. Your personal wearable AI will be capable of seeing what you see and hearing what you hear. Simultaneously, it will track your location, activities, companions, and objectives. Subsequently, without requiring any verbal input from you, these mental aids will offer advice directly into your ears or display guidance before your eyes. The distinction between a tool and a prosthetic might appear subtle, but its implications for human agency are profound. This can be best understood by analyzing input and output.
A traditional tool accepts human input and generates amplified output, making us stronger, faster, or enabling capabilities like flight. In contrast, a mental prosthetic establishes a feedback loop around the human. It accepts input from the user by monitoring their actions and engaging them in conversation, and then generates output that can immediately influence the user’s thinking. This feedback loop is a game-changer. The reason is that body-worn AI devices will possess the ability to monitor our behaviors and emotions. They could potentially leverage this data to persuade us into believing falsehoods, purchasing unnecessary items, or adopting views we would otherwise not hold.