One of the principal back end tools for IoT systems is some kind of data analytics program or big data crunching tool. Data analysis is extended when AI is added to develop predictive structures, based on the data presented.
At a simple level, this is logical processing of various threshold information data points sent to a microprocessor. But the potential is far wider, considering the amount of real-time sensor data available.
AI in IoT
A topical issue that relates directly to IoT is the use of AI for analytics, for machine learning and building a network of connected devices. There is a belief, taken from dystopian movies and books, that AI is a threat. This, we might term the “Frankenstein” formulation or the “Skynet” outcome.
But IT does not have to be that way. Screaming headlines distract you from understanding the practical steps required to retain, not retail, your autonomy.
User Control: A key element is the concept of individual control over one’s data. IoT systems can be designed to let individuals retain ownership of their personal data.
For example, with edge computing (processing data locally rather than sending it to centralized servers), individuals can have more control over what gets shared, keeping data private unless they choose to share it with others or external platforms.
Decentralization or distributed networks: With decentralized concepts, it’s possible to build systems where individuals control the flow of their data without intermediaries. This extends to IoT systems where users authorize who gets user access to data on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that third parties cannot abuse access.
Collaboration over Control: In a world with AI and IoT, the power does not sit solely with one or the other. There’s a collaborative potential in building AI solutions that empower individuals and communities to manage their own data, health, and local environment.
Ethical AI: Emphasizing ethical AI practices ensures that as IoT and AI evolve, they don’t undermine personal freedoms. AI can be built to prioritize user benefit— enhancing quality of life, providing choice, not manipulating behaviors for profit.
Transparency and Opt-in Models: For AI-driven IoT applications allowing users to opt into services, rather than being automatically signed up.
Clear data usage policies and consent management systems made understandable and less coercive.
The pre-eminent faculty of man is his reason, yet he is as easily controlled by fear. It is simple to create a caricature to take your power. One of the easiest tricks used by charlatans is called: “Them versus Us.”
In this case the trick is: IT versus U, used by the people and corporations (Latin: corporare – ‘combine in one body’) who benefit most.
“Knowledge itself is power.”
Francis Bacon
