Human Authentication and Data Protection

With advancements in artifical intelligence (AI) technologies, we may soon encounter the risk of being unable to distinguish human text, images, and voice from machines. One proposed solution from OpenAI founder Sam Altman is World ID, a human authentication tool that scans individuals’ irises for unique identification and verification. However, since the project was launched globally in 2023, it has faced bans in several countries and sparked significant controversy regarding its concept and the tools employed.

Additionally, a new concern is arising over how to protect neural data, which originates from an individual’s brain and nerves. It can readily be collected through a growing number of consumer products. In April 2024, Colorado became the first state to enact legislation regarding the protection of neural data, and California followed in October that year.

As AI technologies are increasingly used to analyze biometric data, the resulting commercialization of health data raises concerns about patient privacy. If not governed properly, the widespread use of AI in health care could lead to bias in decision-making and misuse of personal data, amplifying inequalities in care delivery. Similarly, the data needs of personalized digital twins are enormous. While the promises of such innovation are significant, the downstream impacts of their widespread use are extremely uncertain.

While these developments seem to have little relationship with the work of planning, they may signal significant shifts in both individual behaviors and the future of communities. For example, if AI is successful in improving outcomes for IVF and related fertility treatments, greater choice in how and when to have children could impact anything from population growth (or decline) to the need for local schools. Additionally, the increasing use of AI in health care could influence how medical facilities are designed, possibly affecting the future of local hospitals and other longstanding centers of medical care.

No matter how powerful AI becomes, planners should maintain a critical stance towards these technologies, advocating for careful protection of personal data, supporting historically disenfranchised communities, and promoting more equitable development of AI.