Technology and digital surveillance threaten individual autonomy

Recent commentary highlights growing concerns regarding digital surveillance and the loss of individual autonomy due to technological advancements. The rise of artificial intelligence and sophisticated software is being framed as a tool for social control, potentially leading to significant shifts in human agency and employment.

Specific threats include the Pegasus system, which can gain total control over mobile devices to monitor calls, read messages, and access sensitive banking or email information without direct hacking. Furthermore, the attention economy is criticized for using algorithms to hijack human attention, utilizing dopamine responses to undermine critical thinking and voluntary engagement with information.