Re: you don't want AI? Too bad, we're force feeding it

Retrograde <fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote or quoted:

You want more “AI”? No? Well, too damn bad, here’s “AI” in your file manager.

  I asked my chatbot about it. No, he's okay. Here's what he said
  about it:

AI is invading every corner of our digital lives - file
explorers, smartphones, and web browsers - turning once-private
spaces into open books for corporate algorithms. You can't
move a file, browse a website, or send a message without some
AI lurking, reading, and analyzing your data for
"convenience." But let's call it what it is: a privacy
nightmare masquerading as progress.

Why This Is a Problem

Your Files Aren't Safe: Microsoft's Copilot and upcoming AI
Explorer can scan, analyze, and index everything on your
device - documents, photos, conversations - without clear
boundaries. Even if features are opt-in or have toggles, the
default trajectory is toward more surveillance, not less.

Web Browsers Are Compromised: Major browsers - Edge, Chrome,
Safari, even Brave - are integrating AI tools that can read and
upload the contents of every web page you visit, including
sensitive, authenticated sessions. These tools often process
data in the cloud, meaning your private business data or
personal info could be stored indefinitely on someone else's
server, out of your control.

Smartphones Are Next: Apple, Google, and Meta are embedding AI
deeper into mobile operating systems and apps. Sometimes you
can opt out, but often you can't - especially outside regions
with strong privacy laws. Even when you can toggle features
off, companies are incentivized to make opting out difficult
or incomplete.

Data Used for AI Training: All this data isn't just for your
benefit. It's fuel for training AI models, improving corporate
profits, and building behavioral profiles. The more you use
these features, the more you feed the beast.

What Can You Do to Protect Yourself?

The truth is, you can't fully escape this wave unless you go
offline. But you can fight back:

Turn Off What You Can: Dig into your device and app settings.
Disable AI assistants, file analysis, and web page
summarization wherever possible. Apple, for example, lets you
opt out of "Apple Intelligence" in settings. Microsoft and
Google offer some toggles, but you'll need to hunt for
them - and they may not cover everything.

Use Privacy-Focused Alternatives: Seek out software and
browsers that minimize AI integration or offer local-only
processing. Open-source projects and privacy-first tools are
less likely to embed cloud-based AI by default.

Block Internet Access for Sensitive Apps: If possible,
restrict network access for apps that don't need it. This can
prevent them from uploading data to external servers.

Demand Regulatory Action: Support organizations and
politicians pushing for stronger privacy laws. Only regions
with robust data protection frameworks (like the EU) force
tech giants to offer real opt-out options or limit data
collection.

Encrypt Sensitive Data: Use strong encryption for your most
private files and communications. Confidential AI frameworks
and trusted execution environments (TEEs) are emerging, but
mainstream adoption is slow.

Educate Others: The more people push back, the more pressure
companies will feel to offer privacy-respecting options.

The Bottom Line

AI in your file explorer, browser, and phone isn't just about
convenience - it's about control. Your digital life is being
harvested, indexed, and analyzed without meaningful consent.
If you value privacy, you have to fight for it - by opting out,
switching tools, encrypting data, and demanding better laws.
The machines are reading everything, and unless we act, the
concept of personal digital space will become a relic of the
past.

  (what the chatbot said)