A top Google researcher gave a spooky talk about how Silicon Valley companies could one day read and store our thoughts

Photo by Doug Cody, courtesy of O'Reilly Media

Google Open Research lead Meredith Whittaker

• Meredith Whittaker, a well-known AI researcher and ethicist, spoke at the Artificial Intelligence 2018 conference in San Francisco.
• Whittaker painted a gloomy picture of a future where tech companies possess the ability to read and store human thoughts, and authorities have the ability to subpoena them.
• She said that now is the time to ensure the safe use of AI and other technologies.
• One way she suggested that we do that is not to allow all this power to rest in the hands of a few privileged people.

Listening to Meredith Whittaker speak about artificial intelligence and the future can chill the blood, as she suggests dystopian scenarios where not even our thoughts are safe.

As cofounder of the respected research instittue AI Now at New York University, and a leading Google researcher, Whittaker studies the social implications of AI. At the Artificial Intelligence 2018 Conference in San Francisco on Thursday, Whittaker warned thousands of attendees that the time to protect ourselves from the misuse of AI and other new and formidable technologies is now.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

"A bit of a disclaimer," said Whittaker at the outset of her conference session. "This talk is going to be dark."

AI is one of the tech sector's hottest fields. All the big companies, including Google, Facebook, IBM, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Intel, are spending big on AI research and development. Those investments are beginning to pay off as AI applications are already having a big impact on industries including, but not limited to, travel, healthcare and law enforcement. According to Whittaker, this is just the start. ...

Sponsored: If you enjoyed reading this story so far, why don't you join Business Insider PRIME? Business Insider provides visitors from MSN with a special offer. Simply click here to claim your deal and get access to all exclusive Business Insider PRIME benefits.