(Mostly) agree. Google is out of control, and they'll do anything to sell more ads.
The best solution is simply to not use google products (which aren't that good anyway).
- duckduckgo for search
- dropbox, box, etc. for files
- openstreetmap for maps
- firefox for web browsing (except firefox is about to introduce advertising, too, so I'm not sure about this one.)
This way, your data is decentralized, making it harder to track you. Also, these companies each focus on just one product, meaning their products are better anyway.
It's not about centralization, imo. An out of control AI will be able to harvest this data from wherever - Google just has the best starting set and the most robust data stream to make the initial leap, I think. But I agree with moving away from Google as much as possible, though FF is dubious - it's both a mediocre browser and will, as you say, introduce ads.
This reads much like "The Minority Report" which was written in 1956. While this author has a modern spin and is attaching it directly to a company we all know - how is it any different? Has science fiction given us these ideas and led us to this point, or has it been a neon warning we've been ignoring all this time? Maybe this path was inevitable?
It's different in that none of this is actually science fiction, but just science. All the tech is already there. There's just one more step until we reach AI level.
In 1956 it was impossible. Today, all of this is almost here.
The path to AI is inevitable, but it branches into many - we should try and find a way to pick the right one before we reach the crossroads.
For evidence, see the WaitButWht post linked in the article. Also, the book Superintelligence. It won't be about following advice, the AI will instantly overpower humanity. You won't have an option.
The best solution is simply to not use google products (which aren't that good anyway).
- duckduckgo for search - dropbox, box, etc. for files - openstreetmap for maps - firefox for web browsing (except firefox is about to introduce advertising, too, so I'm not sure about this one.)
This way, your data is decentralized, making it harder to track you. Also, these companies each focus on just one product, meaning their products are better anyway.