In five years Google would like to have collected enough information about you to be able to answer such questions as “What shall I do tomorrow?” and “What job shall I take?”. At least that is the view of Eric Schmidt, the Chief Executive of Google when asked how Google might look in five years, according to FT.com, via lifehacker.
Google are in a race to collect the most comprehensive database of individual information. As well as storing your searches and general Google usage there are parts of the Google service which are particularly fruitful in terms of generating usable electronic wake. iGoogle allows users to personalise their own Google search, and will generate more information for Google, as will Google's personalised search which was launched two years ago.
A new Google service under development is Google Recommendations, where the search suggests products and services the user may like, based on their existing electronic wake, this too will build up usable, proprietary, electronic wake.
My instinctive response to this sort of news is to shrink back into my 60s hippy, liberal rejection of “The Man”. However, that response could simply show how out of touch I am. If we look at the way people share their information via Social Networks, it may be that the majority will be happy to surrender all this information, if it provides a better level of service.
I am also reminded of the film Minority Report where the system was able to predict crime, and people were arrested for Future Crime. I worry that this sort of electronic wake will be used to arrest people who have never broken the law, but who are considered likely to – and again, the majority may say “so what, sounds good to me”, unless it is them who is wrongfully arrested.
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