Artificial intelligence is a hot investment for venture capital firms. And as the use of the technology expands, some investors expect consumers to become more comfortable with offering their data for added convenience.
U.S. consumers are still on the fence about the use of A.I. to crunch massive amounts of personal data and even recognize people’s faces. Facial recognition software is already being used in the U.S. to do things like unlock iPhones and identify people in photos on social media. But it’s also created concern about potential bias and the possibility of governmental surveillance.
Critics, including politicians and advocacy groups, say that A.I. is widely biased against people of color and argue that in the wrong hands it could be used for nefarious activities. The American Civil Liberties Union, for example, is concerned that the government could start using the technology to police residents, fueling already growing racial discrimination concerns among minorities.
Yet on the other side of the world, artificial intelligence, like facial recognition software, has become a social norm. Cameras blanket China, allowing the government to provide its residents with heightened safety. But it also has introduced an ominous Big Brother-like surveillance system that rewards and punishes people based on their social behavior.
“The western world is focused more on privacy,” said Ilya Fushman, general partner and managing member at Kleiner Perkins. “But in terms of overall value and utility, you could argue giving up a little bit of privacy might have a value proposition.”
That’s because consumers could warm up to…
