Personalized AI with the power of Hindsight
I believe you are what you do. We are constantly changing whether we are conscious of it or not. External and internal stimuli push our minds and bodies in varying directions as we evolve along the path of time. I find this concept simultaneously daunting and inspiring. An ego of self grasps for a stable identity, while an internal energy seeks to build momentum in exciting directions both new and established. Given how much time we spend looking at a screen, it’s essential to understand how today’s personalized digital tools subtly, and sometimes invisibly, reshape our sense of self.
We all live in our own unique digital worlds. Nearly every app we use collects massive amounts of data on us in order to provide an extremely personalized experience. This tailored experience becomes the lens through which we view the larger world. These lenses filter, focus, and distort, gradually transforming our perception.
There is so much information in the world that we are physically only able to observe a minuscule percentage of it. The information we see and, equally importantly, the information we don’t see shapes our concept of reality. So how do we optimize the information we consume?
For most applications, the metric for success is remarkably straightforward. Some of the world’s brightest minds have devoted their careers to developing technology designed to hijack the user’s subconscious, all with the aim of maximizing time spent on the app. By keeping individuals engaged with their particular “lens,” these platforms can boost — and sell — the influence they exert over users. Sadly, this pursuit of ever-increasing engagement has played a major role in many social challenges, from political polarization to a widespread mental health crisis.
In an effort to more safely harness the power of technology, I developed Hindsight. Hindsight is an open-source application that captures a screenshot every two seconds on a user’s phone (currently Android only) and computer, effectively documenting the entirety of one’s digital presence. To protect privacy, Hindsight processes and stores all collected data locally, never transmitting information to external servers.
As artificial intelligence continues its rapid evolution, ensuring that AI aligns with our personal goals becomes increasingly crucial. By granting individuals complete control over the most comprehensive dataset of their own behavior, Hindsight aims to foster AI systems that prioritize user interests rather than purely corporate or external objectives.
The Power of Hindsight
I consider myself a futurist. A major part of that involves honing my ability to make accurate predictions. The biggest challenge in making good predictions is filtering meaningful signals from the immense amount of noise we encounter each day. Retrospectives can be incredibly insightful, but they’re time-consuming and often yield few broadly applicable insights. To address this, I’m developing an AI pipeline — using Hindsight — that automatically flags the most predictive signals I encountered in the past, helping me refine the lens through which I view the world.
While humans are physically incapable of comprehending vast quantities of data, AI is inherently built for it. By aligning the incentives of AI systems with our individual goals, technology can enhance human capabilities and pave the way for a society founded on equity and collective well-being.
