With the recent developments in AI technology, we are entering a new era of manipulation through captology. Mainstream websites/apps are well known to utilize captology to manipulate its users. But now captology is AI driven and will reach a new dimension of manipulation. In the very near future, every mainstream OS will be AI infested. This means, manipulation will start as soon you turn on your PC/smartphone.
The internet and computing in general is no longer a harmless activity. Now it is objectively a great danger for the users mental self-determination to use mainstream websites/OS/software. Because I honestly don’t believe, that anyone can outsmart AI driven Captology. People who claim this, probably also believe they can consume heroin without becoming addicted.
This is why I believe, that now is the last chance to escape from this pernicious trend. This means, now is the time to fundamentally rethink and reorganize our habits of using the internet and computer technology.
I don’t claim to know the perfect way out, but I can only share what I am doing. I believe that some kind of off grid computing is the solution.
-My tech: Laptop with Linux Mint, Nokia Dumbphone, FM tuner -No home internet connection. I only use public wifi. (Psychological reason, to keep me from mindless surfing)
A few years ago, I would have called someone with this lifestyle an insane luddite. But today, I prefer to be an insane luddite, than to be a dopamine addicted consoomer who is being controlled by AI driven captology.
I agree that generative AI is polluting the wider mainstream internet, turn every corner and you will see AI being mentioned or used ad nauseum. I also agree that captologist algorithms are addictive. But to disagree, I think you should still have faith in the wider population. The dopamine addicts are a fraction of the total population. I believe it is possible to outsmart AI driven captology. To give this up means giving into fatalism that AI technology is somehow “stronger than us” and will “enslave us”. I think this is x-risk speak and it’s being utilized by big AI to fear-monger and control public sentiment (which seems to be effective given the numerous articles from mainstream tech outlet).
That being said, I also don’t have a perfect way out for those who have fully embraced mainstream tech and services. Seems like they don’t care about their privacy because they have “nothing to hide”, are easily sold “privacy-friendly” solutions that are still shady (ahem Brave) and part of the problem, maybe they will care when their own bubble bursts. It’s hard to tell an addict to quit cold turkey.
I’ll share what I’m doing: stick to FOSS, use the Fediverse, run Linux and GrapheneOS, I also self-host a lot of services I rely on, don’t use any social media besides pseudo-anonymous forums, and only using second hand devices and parts. I’m exposed to the internet daily and have managed to avoid the generative AI plague and captology algorithms. I don’t view my relationship with technology as parasitic or unhealthy.
Also, you might be interested in this: https://permacomputing.net/