Jackie McGregor: Surely my mobile phone can't possibly be reading my mind?

The thing is, I hadn’t searched anything regarding baking soda, nor had I spoken to anyone about using it. I had known about it for years as it was a trick my mother used for eliminating bad smells and I’ve used it before, so I had no need to search or discuss it. That’s odd, I thought, and more than a little random that this had been shown to me.

Later in the week, I was gardening. I decided to sprinkle salt on the weeds that were coming through the cracks on my garden path. I did this wordlessly, alone. I didn’t search anything regarding it, as it’s a proven method I’ve used before. Afterwards, articles popped-up on my phone about using salt to kill weeds. I began to feel a little uncomfortable and found myself wondering if the phone could read my thoughts?

Mind reading might sound like science fiction, but it’s fiction no more, as devices are already in development capable of doing just that. An Artificial Intelligence model called DeWave is able to record and decode brain waves into text. Participants in tests wore a snug-fitting cap whilst silently reading and the system in the cap successfully translated their brain activity into words. This technology could prove invaluable to those who have suffered stroke or paralysis, who may have lost their ability to speak.

Although the advantages of this technology for helping those in need are obvious, it’s also a rather scary thought. In this time when many people are afraid to say what they really think for fear of cancel culture, surely this kind of device presents concerns about mental surveillance? It might not be long before we are in the position of being paid a visit from the Thought Police! Our thoughts are the last bastion of privacy as a human being, leaving them open to scrutiny would be the deepest form of violation.

There is already concern brewing regarding the loss of thought privacy. Neuroscientist, Rafael Yuste, and human rights lawyer, Jared Genser, founded the Neurorights Foundation in 2017, to raise awareness about the human rights and ethical implications of neurotechnology.

It’s probably coincidental that my phone presented me with information on two activities that I had just been involved in, but I can’t help beginning to feel uneasy about what our phones might become capable of. Perhaps we are making technology too smart for our own good! As technology’s powers increase, its potential hazards also escalate. We are in danger of becoming the tools of our tools!