Surveillance Capitalism has a New GenAI Branding and Coat of Paint 🎨
It's suddenly cool again to track everything, and I mean everything.
Friends,
I’m a bit of an outspoken critic of Surveillance Capitalism. We used to view that about China in a negative light. But in the era of Generative A.I., I’ve noticed is suddenly cool to glorify surveillance in the glint of productivity and tracking every data point. Just slap on some blurb about being privacy-conscious.
And now, a word from our sponsor, Rewind AI.
From Humane’s AI Pin to what Rewind is building, it’s really an alarming trend.
The Pendant or the Pin? Red or Blue Pill is a False Choice
Rewind’s wearable is a pendant.
No this is not a Black Mirror episode, I’m not even joking.
Introducing the AI Pendant of Rewind
Would you be more productive if you never forgot anything?
Built by Dan Siroker, the co-founder and former chief executive of Optimizely, and Brett Bejcek, Rewind wants to help people with their memory.
So do you vote for the Pin or the Pendant?
Rewind is backed by a16z among others.
Rewind’s motto feels like it was stolen from a Black Mirror episode.
Rewind Pendant is the hardware extension of “remember everything you do” on an internet where I wish I could forget better. TikTok wants me to pay for subscriptions to avoid Advertisements. If only Google gave me that choice.
https://www.rewind.ai/ (if life is too boring in technological loneliness, just press rewind)
Is your Life Ready to be Captured?
Introducing Rewind Pendant - a wearable that captures what you say and hear in the real world!
Rewind powered by truly everything you’ve seen, said, or heard
Summarize and ask any question using AI
Private by design Learn more & preorder: http://rewind.ai/pendant
I always wanted a wearable that captured everything, how thoughtful of you Dan! Such care and consideration for our privacy too.
“The content of discussions, debates and decisions are often lost forever as soon as a meeting is over,” Siroker said. “With Rewind, you never have to worry about losing this content again….you can go back to the exact moment in a meeting you are looking for by simply searching for a word that was said, a word that appeared on your screen.”
Never lose data you encounter again! Just rewind!
The product feels like something Sam Altman wishes he came up with! Very dystopian and very productivity boosting, all rolled up into one.
AI is Now Multi-Modal and Surveillance Friendly, Rejoice!
Rewind Pendant is a wearable that captures what you say and hear in the real world and then transcribes, encrypts, and stores it entirely locally on your phone.
We take a privacy-first approach and offer features for you to ensure no one is recorded without their consent.
With Pendant, Rewind is a personalized AI powered by truly everything you’ve seen, said, or heard.
After leaving Optimizely in October 2020, Dan began looking for different ways to augment human capability. Perhaps he watched a few too many Black Mirror episodes. His buddies at a16z are up for anything!
What will the era of AI pins and pendants lead us? Probably to the same place copilots that gimmicks for productivity will lead us. AI buddies for all of us, nerds with all the data to capture profits.
How could a wearable that captures everything be privacy-first? Just ask the Venture Capital mafia of the current era:
Elad, Marc, Alexis and Sam want to augment their human intelligence, they must be right!
Can you imagine a better world?
Never forget who you are and your dreams, okay! As Generative A.I. deskills you, it will be okay.
Use cases
Forget what your spouse just asked you to pick up at the grocery store?
At an all-day conference and want to share summaries with your co-workers?
Be more present in your day-to-day and bookmark moments for later.
Automatic todo list generation whenever you verbally commit to doing something to someone else.
Have an exciting idea while going for a walk or driving and want to remember it for later? Just talk to yourself.
Insights into your life: What are you doing when your voice sounds the most excited? When are you the most grumpy? What are most common filler words?
Capture the incredible things your young kids say so you can replay them later and reminisce (“Daddy, I plugged it in. Can you plug it out?”).
What will the Gods and Lords of Silicon Valley come up with next?
I especially want my chatbots to mine the data captured by my Humane and Rewind pins and pendants. Pi will know everything!