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New Website Shows You How Much Google AI Can Learn From Your Photos
Upload your photo and get a thorough, three-paragraph description of it.
Paresh Dave | Wired.com – December 15, 2024 | 8:36 PM
credit: David Malan | wired.com
The Unseen Future of Visual Data
In an era where AI is reshaping industries and societal norms, one company stands out for its proactive approach to preserving and curating visual data. For decades, Google has ensured that photos don’t vanish into a forgotten void— thanks to years of work on backup systems and data management protocols. But what if the future holds something even more daunting?
The Rise of Visual Data Mining
In some ways, that’s exactly what concerns Mohandas, an entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to creating alternative solutions for photo storage and retrieval. “Google is a company which I believe will be there 20 years from now,” he says. “Photos taken of my daughter today reveal who she is and what makes her happy or sad. This information could be used to manipulate her decades from now by anyone who has access to this data—advertisers, dating websites, employers, and industries that don’t exist yet but will benefit from psychological profiles.”
Mohandas isn’t the only one pondering the implications of AI-driven photo analysis. With every click, Google’s algorithms are learning more about our visual memories—and potentially mining them for insights we never imagined.
A New Tool to Control the Future
To combat this growing threat, Mohandas founded Ente, a small but innovative app designed to give users control over their digital photo libraries. By leveraging open-source technology and privacy-first principles, Ente aims to empower users with an alternative way to safeguard their visual archives.
“We don’t know how the future will turn out, and it doesn’t hurt to be cautious, and it doesn’t hurt to have an option,” Mohandas says.
The Trade-offs of Privacy
As we explore the boundaries of AI’s capabilities, one question looms large: What does the future hold for our visual data? Will it be accessible to everyone—or will it remain in the hands of those who can afford exclusive storage solutions?
A Company with a Long History of Data Security
Google has spent decades building a reputation for ensuring that photos don’t disappear into a forgotten void. The company’s proprietary backup systems and robust file-sharing protocols have protected countless memories from obsolescence. But as Mohandas points out, “Google makes it difficult for people to transfer their photo library elsewhere by breaking up files and compressing them.”
Challenges of Open-Source Solutions
While Ente offers a promising alternative, its small-scale operations mean that some features—such as file sharing and advanced search capabilities—are still in beta. For users who lose or forget their passwords (which also serve as encryption keys), this could mean losing access to their photo libraries entirely.
The Human Factor
For Mohandas, the balance between innovation and caution is clear: “I trust my own family photos with Ente, which keeps two separate private backups for users.” While Google’s decades of experience in ensuring photo longevity provide a sense of security, Mohandas remains vigilant.
“This information could be used to manipulate her decades from now by anyone who has access to this data—advertisers, dating websites, employers, and industries that don’t exist yet but will benefit from psychological profiles,” he says.
Conclusion
As the lines between AI capabilities and human control continue to blur, it’s impossible to predict what the future holds for our visual archives. For Mohandas, the stakes are clear: “I want to ensure that humanity’s visual archive won’t be mined in ways I can’t predict or control.”
But as the world continues to evolve, so too must the tools we use to preserve and protect our memories. With both Google and Ente playing crucial roles in shaping the future of digital archiving, the battle for control over our visual data is just beginning.
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