Big Data or Big Danger?
As artificial intelligence continues to rapidly advance, shaping the world in which we live, big data has grown to be an increasingly strenuous task for governments to manage efficiently. Despite generating incomes for millions across the world, the general population remains painfully unaware of the disastrous potential big data holds. Currently, the most evident risks associated with the technology include cybersecurity and the protection of intellectual property. However, big data has also challenged the way businesses are operated, and unfortunately, extend the division between the few who have gained access to it and those who have not. The quantity and speed at which big data must be processed are quickly becoming too much for anyone to manage. Statistics show that more data was produced in the last two years than at any point in human history, 99.5% of which will never be analyzed nor put to use.
At the rate at which this technology grows, many nations have recognized it as a powerful tool, thus, giving a reasonable motive to dispute whether nations have been using this data ethically. For instance, China's controversial social credit score program tracks citizen's social media, actions, friends and family as measures taken to improve national security. Similarly, Russia’s Red Web gives intelligence access to all Russian ISPS and is used to monitor suspicious activity. However, what crosses the fine line between national security and privacy? For big data analysts, coding is an essential skill and makes up most if not all of an individual's work life. From conducting numerical and statistical analysis with massive data sets to dedicating time and money into code such as Java, Python, R, and C++ it is clear that many have begun to recognize big data’s presence in society. Now more than ever, the demand for coders in this industry has increased. For those who are unaware of just how much it affects their lives, this topic is sure to leave many pondering about their presence and privacy online.
