TCAST: The Future of Data & AI

Here are some issues worth mulling over when it comes to the development of AI: data protection. Biased decision-making. Bias in employment. The social impact on the environment. The future of warfare. 

What are your thoughts regarding the impact of tech innovation on humanity? Don’t you think you deserve to have a say when it comes to how technology is being developed?

In this episode, Alexander McCaig welcomes Bernd Stahl back on the TCAST. The pair navigate some important questions regarding the ethics of artificial intelligence, and the impact of its progress.

One issue Alexander raised was regarding the top-down hierarchical approach that’s commonly been used in many different kinds of organizations, throughout the history of humanity. This approach usually backfires because all the power to decide is concentrated in the hands of an elite few. As a result, the people who form the base of the top-down approach are dependent on them.

However, AI can be developed in a way that would enable resource-holders to directly analyze the general public, using ethically-sourced data to power their algorithms. Through direct interaction with the communities that they want to research and develop, the benefits of future technology can better tickle down to those who need it the most. 

But this system also poses risks, especially when the people who are being studied do not have a say in the amount of data that is taken from them. With this, Alexander raises the idea of allowing people to choose which data can enter these systems and be analyzed. 

To this, Bernd discusses the magnitude of this initiative. While the European Union is trying to achieve this through its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Bernd points out that it can be difficult for the individual data subject to communicate their desires to the data collectors. In addition, data regulation needs to account for changes in consumer’s preferences over time because as humans, we aren’t very consistent in what we want. 

Due to the complexity of this relationship, history has developed in a way that allowed companies to accumulate the resources and the power to benefit the most from AI. There is a strong recognition that this imbalance is problematic. It’s inequitable, it does not help humanity evolve or enforce equality, and it does not give the disenfranchised the best chances to succeed in life through technology.

So Alexander raised the question: what if we could work towards a collective decision on how we define the ethics and outcome of AI systems? If we agree on our vision of the future and focus our efforts on that as a collective, we could better inform the AI algorithms and help direct them to a clearer path. One that is in favor of humanity. 

However, Bernd pointed out that vast differences in preferences and moral stances can make it difficult for us to agree on one clear direction. 

AI is capable of helping us. This is undisputed. One area that Bernd believes AI can be most utilized is in medicine. For example, personalized medicine can look into the genome sequencing and medical history of an individual, and run it against other samples. This would potentially empower scientists, providing the information they need to tailor a specific combination of pharmaceuticals so that individuals can get bespoke treatment.

But are we maximizing the potential of our technologies, or allowing those seated in power to take a hefty cut of the benefits for their vested interests?

Bernd likened the creation of AI to the discovery of fire. If we could ask the first person to figure out what fire was to predict how vital it would be to the evolution of humanity, they would have no idea how to respond. 

We can only work on what we know. This is why Bernd Stahl recommends looking at AI with continuous reflection and assessment. We need to be capable of seeing how AI is developing and providing our feedback. 

And that’s why your data is worth billions.

Sign up for the TARTLE Marketplace through this link here.

- Are We Really In Control Of Tech Development and Innovation? with Prof. Bernd Stahl by TARTLE is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

How long have you been waiting for your life to begin? How much control have you given other entities over your future?

We’ve created an economic system that judges the worth of entire societies based on their money. And for the longest time, we’ve confirmed that value. We continually accept this judgment and place our faith in it. 

But really, we’re all living in a shared fiction. The one percent we’re trusting to create a better world for humanity, composed of central bankers and larger regulators, is crippled with red tape, bureaucracy, and even corruption. 

The fourth industrial revolution is a pivot towards intensive, data-driven measures. We’ll be moving from the physical world to the digital. The internet of things, the metaverse, Web 3.0—all these initiatives involve more data.

It’s important that we have the tools we need to position ourselves strategically as this change occurs. So let’s talk about how TARTLE helps individuals secure their economic privacy and economic liberty.

On TARTLE, you are capable of choosing between sharing your information and keeping it to yourself. Conversely, you can also fine-tune your data packets so that you only get the information you need for your business. No bloatware involved.

Both paths create value for you—even when you decide that you want to limit the data you’ll be giving, you create an environment of scarcity. 

With economic liberty, TARTLE acknowledges that your data is your right. By extension, your decision to use it creates economic gain for yourself. You have the choice over how much financial gain and economic empowerment is possible, regardless of whether you are a buyer or a seller on the platform.

TARTLE safeguards your economic privacy and economic liberty by providing a place where you are in complete control of your information. You can trust that every transaction you make is fair on both ends.

Our current system calls for us to believe that other entities have your best interests at heart, so there’s no need for you to take any action. But there’s no proof that they do. And you’re giving up so much of your freedoms in exchange for their participation.

This must be a significant factor in why people love cryptocurrencies. Despite the steep learning curve and risk, you are the sole owner of your wallet and key. No-one else can take control of it, and nobody needs to ask for the bank’s permission to do anything.

We deserve a system that shows us an immediate outcome for our hard work. This is where TARTLE comes in. 

We built this platform so humanity could determine the value of society by their work, and give individuals an opportunity to learn how to monetize their own information.

Let’s take back our information. On TARTLE, we are in control. Let’s learn to say this:

What I do is my business.

Find out more about how TARTLE helps you connect to your data and other important causes through this link here.

Big tech is making some big moves on your personal information.

Now, they’re making it look good by dressing it up with some fun statistics. For example, Spotify Unwrapped gives you a list of all the music you’ve listened to the most in the past year. Google Maps has a similar function. It compiles a neat list of all the countries, cities, and places you’ve visited.

It’s time to call this out for what it is: they’re showing you all the personal information they’ve gathered from you, and are keeping it in their systems. 

Your location data is critical information. We’ve seen journalists, politicians, and gamers doxed for one thing or the other on the internet.

In this episode, Alexander and Jason discuss how a Catholic priest was outed by a Christian publication. This happened because they tracked his location using Grindr, and found that he was visiting gay bars and private residence from 2018 to 2020. They concluded that it was his phone based on the location data as well.

“A mobile device correlated to Burrill emitted app data signals from the location-based hookup app Grindr on a near-daily basis during parts of 2018, 2019, and 2020 — at both his USCCB office and his USCCB-owned residence, as well as during USCCB meetings and events in other cities.” - The Pillar

That’s highly specialized location data. Three years of the priest’s whereabouts, being logged and stored by the app. And a data vendor was all it took to ruin his entire life.

Should he have been a priest if he was a closeted homosexual? That’s not what we’re trying to answer here. The core of this issue is that someone tracked this individual’s private choices and exposed them without their consent, without them even being aware that they were tracked in the first place.

Those fun end-of-the-year summaries on your app activity aren’t for free. They are blatantly telling you that you are the product, and you can have your data weaponized against you without your knowledge. That’s the kind of chaotic world we can expect with the inevitable weaponization of data.

This is a wake-up call for you to start being more vigilant about who and where you share your data. You need to own the information you create on your gadgets. Those are your personal assets and you worked hard to create them.

With TARTLE, you can take that information into your hands and choose to share it on your time, at your pace. Stop letting third parties and vendors take that away from you. Your choice, your time, your data.

Sign up for TARTLE here.

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Tcast is brought to you by TARTLE. A global personal data marketplace that allows users to sell their personal information anonymously when they want to, while allowing buyers to access clean ready to analyze data sets on digital identities from all across the globe. The show is hosted by Co-Founder and Source Data Pioneer Alexander McCaig and Head of Conscious Marketing Jason Rigby. What's your data worth? Find out at ( https://tartle.co/ ) Watch the podcast on YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC46qT-wHaRzUZBDTc9uBwJg ) Like our Facebook Page ( https://www.facebook.com/TARTLEofficial/ ) Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/tartle_official/ ) Follow us on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/TARTLEofficial ) Spread the word!

Log in to TARTLE. Your dashboard will show an overview of users according to the following categories:

• Age
• Sex
• Location

Under the Search Packets tab, you’ll see a list of all our categories on the left side. You can open a category to see all the different packets. If you want to suggest a data packet, click on the plus sign located at the right side of the Category search bar.

All the data packets (except Integrations) shows:

• Average price
• Maximum price
• Data points
• Single bids which last for 24 hours and come in csv files
• Subscription bids which are ongoing until you want them to end, and come in json files
• Both types of bids will close when the packet amount purchased is reached

Some data packets may go for a higher price than others, based on:

• The amount of work that the seller needs to put in
• Whether or not the information is identified

If the data packet you need is not on our list, you can suggest a data packet by clicking on the plus sign, next to the search bar on the left side.

As a buyer, your first priority is making sure that you’re doing what’s best for your business. So what’s stopping you from jumping into TARTLE’s data packets? If you’re still having doubts about investing in our platform, let’s talk about the benefits you get from ethical data sourcing.

In the traditional data sourcing setup, a lot of the information that you buy is incredibly biased. This is because you’re buying them off of third parties that observe human beings, and not the human beings you’re serving themselves. Every middleman you entertain in your data sourcing gives room for misinterpretation and corruption of their information.

So remove the guesswork. Half of the headache in growing a business is figuring out what makes your customers tick—that’s why we all shell out so much towards marketing campaigns. But with TARTLE, you can invest in facts. Making the move toward ethical data sourcing means that you don’t have to make assumptions about your customers, because you can reach out to them whenever you need to.

TARTLE is where the world goes to buy and sell data. And if you're not ethically sourcing your information through TARTLE, you're not getting your information properly and you're not getting the best information possible. - Alexander McCaig

When you come to TARTLE, you are taking on a commitment. You want to ensure that your values, actions, and business align with one another. This is an active decision to care about the future of your company, the planet, and the people who support your products and services. 

It can be overwhelming to think of ways that you could make change happen. After all, movements take decades to build up the momentum they need to succeed. So if you can’t find the time to commit to so many other things just yet, commit to this one step. 

Commitment to TARTLE symbolizes a commitment to human beings who want to establish consensual relationships and share truthful narratives of their lives.

Sign up for TARTLE through this link here.

Trust can be difficult to establish—trust from society, in a brand, with corporations, or with anybody that chooses to participate in TARTLE. If you’ve ever run a business before, you know that finding and nurturing repeat customers is no easy feat.

In this episode, Jason Rigby briefly discusses the world’s pivot towards Web 3.0. We’re moving into an era where transparency on the internet is key. This is a world where we give the end user opportunities to empower themselves, and make the decision to sell their data. 

We are creating a world where individuals can take back control of their personal information and create relationships with data buyers from around the world. For sellers, this is a chance to connect with other people, businesses, and organizations that can help them uplift their life.

How far can our personal information travel without our knowledge? Whenever you are purchasing data, there is a high likelihood that the source is incentivized purely off of profit. 

All the data you are using to create and improve your products and services is made possible because of the support of your target audience. These are human beings who find value in what you do and create. It doesn’t make sense to get your data from people outside of those that support what you do. 

As a buyer, you need to be mindful of where you source all your raw materials—even your information. Other firms may be selling you their data just so they can profit from the covert surveillance and manipulation of the very people you are trying to serve.

If you want to create goodwill and trust, you need to nurture a direct relationship with your customers. You don’t want to leave them in the dark, wondering how you know all about their consumer behavior. Ethical data sourcing has become a crucial part of corporate social responsibility, and it’s time to make that a priority in every organization.

Sign up for TARTLE through this link here.

This episode explores the concept of universal basic income. What if we were given a standard amount to afford our basic needs? How would it affect us, especially individuals in dire situations? And how can we make it a possibility?

Plenty of people across the world struggle to secure their day to day needs, even in developed countries. Poor living conditions, unstable and unsteady income, and an uncertain future—all these factors combine to create a state of fear that makes it impossible for individuals to evolve.

Universal basic income is an opportunity to give people a basic energetic need. It allows people to uplift themselves. It respects their inherent human dignity and liberates them from the struggle of fulfilling basic needs, which is something no human should ever have to shoulder on their own.

We may not realize it, but so much of our success depends on the luck of the draw. Isn’t it unfair to think of how the birth lottery determines a significant part of our personalities, environment, and future?

With universal basic income, we give everyone access to one of the simplest, yet most important determinants for success: money. The emotional and mental stability you get from knowing that you can afford three meals a day and a roof over your head is often understated. It is only when our basic needs are fulfilled that we can hope to evolve.

“We are at the beginning stages of the greatest use case from mankind on universal basic income.” - Alexander McCaig

All TARTLE participants receive daily cash rewards from the platform. And as more people sign up, we may see these daily payouts increase as well.

This is possible because as more data enters the platform, and more information becomes protected, the value of this information increases. Each individual that signs up for TARTLE increases the overall marketplace value of the data that they submit. 

So you don’t just get the opportunity to finally take control of your data. You also have the chance to make basic income accessible for yourself and your loved ones.

Sign up for TARTLE here.

We are used to thinking that the universe revolves around us. That nothing superior to humanity could ever exist. But realistically, our time is only a small fraction in the billions and trillions of years that the universe has been in existence.

In this episode, Dr Avi Loeb returns to the podcast for a deeper dive into what the universe has to offer—and how human ego is preventing our capacity for human progress.

Once upon a time, the biblical story of Abraham and Lot was written. The lives of these two coincided with the arrival of a meteor that obliterated the entire region. 

Religious narrative explains that this was a manifestation of God’s wrath. The city of Sodom was destroyed because of the sinfulness of its inhabitants. But the alternative is that it could have just been about a meteor that happened to hit that city.

Dr Avi Loeb’s point is that the narrative does not necessarily put humans at the center of a big event. This rock was heading for a collision course with Earth long before Sodom was constructed and inhabited by people who sinned.

For people to deserve punishment, we must assume that free will is a possibility. But how does this align with the reality that the meteor was already on its way to Earth millions of years before these people were even conceived? 

These are interesting contradictions to think about. They are borne out of humanity’s desire to assign meaning and purpose to these events, with us at the center of everything.

Consider this: our recorded history only covers the past 10,000 years.

The amount of time it took for humans to create, develop, and launch rockets to the nearest star spans 50,000 years.

And stars were formed billions of years before the sun.

What does this tell you? It means that humanity is grappling with vast distances and incredibly long time scales. If there are other alien civilizations out there, it’s presumptuous to assume that they are the same as us.

What’s likelier is that they may not be synchronized with our progress, not just temporally but in terms of tech advancement as well. It wouldn’t be wise to assume that our existence has a massive impact on the entire timeline of the universe.

Human history has shown that groups of people are consistently trying to become superior over others. You only need to look at the results of the Second World War and the Nazi regime to see how destructive it can be to feel superior. 

So what would help unite us and prioritize our equality?

Dr. Avi Loeb believes we need to accept that we are not the smartest kid on the block. If there are alien civilizations, it’s more than possible that they have progressed faster and further than we have. 

All our genetic differences are insignificant and meaningless. The Nazi doctrine, and other radical ideologies that seek to discriminate, will lose meaning.

“We will perhaps have more respect towards each other and regard all of us as equal members of the human species because there is a smarter kid on the block. How can you brag if there is someone much better than you are?” Dr. Avi Loeb points out.

What good is our technology if we only use it to advance a particular niche that does not help the totality of human understanding? Take a closer look at what’s being developed and you’ll notice that the benefits of these innovations are not always aligned with humanity. We need to stop advancing technology just for the sake of making bigger and better-looking technologies.

To guarantee our preservation, we need to humble ourselves and bring our focus back to humanity. We won’t progress if we don’t unite. We won’t know more if we’re too afraid to disprove the theories we hold so close and dear to ourselves. And we won’t know how to empower ourselves if we think that we already have the answers, by some misplaced idea that we are at the center of the universe.

Sign up on TARTLE: https://tartle.co

1. Log in to TARTLE

2. The Dashboard gives you information on users per country, and worldwide. This can be viewed through different lenses, such as age range and sex.

3. Under the Search Packets tab, you’ll see a list of all our categories on the left side. You can open a category to see all the different packets. If you want to suggest a data packet, click on the plus sign located on the right side of the Category search bar.

4. Each packet shows the - Average price - Maximum price - Data points - Single bids which last for 24 hours and come in CSV files - Subscription bids that are ongoing until you want them to end, and come in json files

5. You can click the Make A Bid to determine the maximum number of packets you need and the price you’re willing to pay. You can also implement additional filters.

6. Once you click continue, you will be asked to confirm the following details: - Data fee - Service fee - Estimated total

7. Under the My Active Bids tab, you have an overview of all the single and subscription bids you’ve made. This is accompanied by the following details:

- Description - Price per packet - Quantity - Time left

8. If you click on a data packet, you can view the following details: Amount of packets sold - Total price paid - Start time - End time - Packet updates - Packet questions

9. Under My Closed Bids, you can view all the bids that have either reached the maximum number of packets filled out or run their course. You can click on the individual bids to start downloading your ethically sourced data. Congratulations, Data Champion! What's your data worth? Find out at ( https://tartle.co/ ) 

It’s true that money can’t buy happiness. However, it does give us the security and stability we need as humans to better pursue it. So let’s take a look at the process of distributing money, our relationship with the government, and how we can improve it.

Why is money valuable? It’s only because we decide it is. In the past, we’ve turned to other stores of value to determine what we should use as a currency. We’ve used glass beads, salt, and even speckled granite.

So, who has the power to control our money—and by extension, an important aspect of our society? By virtue of our inaction, that responsibility falls in the hands of central bankers. The problem is that this has become the reflection of a society’s worth. Regardless of where you are from, someone else is in charge of controlling the flow of money. 

But with TARTLE, we have the power to invert that model. You decide how much your information is worth, and no one else.

How Does Liquidity Affect Us?

It’s like a dam: when somebody controls the flow of a certain asset, then it affects its liquidity and volatility. Someone is manufacturing demand and supply for it. This makes people feel like they constantly have to be on guard, in case there are market changes that affect their standing.

With TARTLE, the liquidity of data is instantaneous. 

With TARTLE, you don’t have to worry about running out of information. Regardless of whether you are a buyer or a seller, information is being created every single day. It’s not valuable because you have to bulk up ahead of a shortage in supply. It’s valuable because inherently, information is power. There is no reason to act in fear or to try to pre-empt anything because everybody has all the information and opportunity they need to participate. And there is no limitation to the amount of information you can have—especially on TARTLE.

The younger generation does not trust the government. Alexander McCaig clarifies that he isn’t trying to create a problem with this statement. There’s no need to open a new government or anything drastic. The reality is just that people want choice—and when their work has been devalued, they will merely find the path of least resistance. Better options to fund a good quality of life.

When the government is asking its citizens to place its trust in the dollar, it’s asking them to have faith in the market even if they do not have all of the facts. To let them control it for you. 

But trust implies that both sides are open with their decision-making, and transparent about everything. 

Everybody deserves a platform where their personal autonomy, capacity for choice, and need for consent are respected. A marketplace built on transparent reciprocity, where everyone is rewarded for their hard work.

What’s your data worth? https://www.tartle.co