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Define subliminal8/2/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Failing this, it should at least be duly considered in every legal system of the world. This will be made possible by the creative combination and convergence of different technologies, tools and applications directly and indirectly related to AI, such as machine learning, affective computing and eye-tracking.įor these reasons and to secure the consistency with the ban of subliminal advertising, it is therefore necessary to also prohibit subliminal techniques of AI in a future global standard-setting instrument on AI. AI and notably future AI systems will enhance these possibilities further. In brief, these are but a few examples and there already exist many more sophisticated techniques capable of manipulating the human mind. By the late 1980s, several jurisdictions around the world banned the use of "subliminal advertisements" in audio-visual media. More recent scientific experiments not only confirmed the effectiveness of subliminal techniques and their general impact on the human mind and behavior, but also highlighted the possibilities for their application in a wider range of areas.įor instance, a software called "brain spyware" illustrates how it is possible to access private information, such as banking information, PIN codes, location of residency or the date of birth, from the brains of brain–computer interface users "by showing them visual stimuli and using a machine learning model to detect familiar information based on the brain's response." Equally, so-called dark patterns describe undetectable deceptive elements used in websites and apps to manipulate users through various methods, such as disguised ads, triggering fear or "bait and switch." Or else, the combination of targeted advertising with hidden algorithms used by search engines was found to determine not only the success of business ventures but also the outcomes of elections, as it was revealed by the Cambridge Analytica Scandal. The book "The Hidden Persuaders," published in 1957, warned that the same subliminal techniques can be used not only to boost the sale of products but also to influence the outcomes of elections. Such subliminal techniques are commonly known from experiments carried out in the 1950s in the field of advertising, which used rapidly flashed images in movie theaters to boost the sales for popcorn and Coca-Cola. Worse still, many of these techniques are intentionally designed to "subliminally" – that is below the threshold of awareness – manipulate the human mind and to alter a person's behavior. The emphasis on the impact of AI on the human mind is of utmost importance, because – in line with advances in neuroscience – there already exist many AI techniques in a great number of areas of the lives of billions of people with profound consequences, which, however, most of the time are not noticed. In November 2021, UNESCO took a first important step and adopted the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence as a first global standard-setting instrument on AI, which recognizes "the profound and dynamic positive and negative impacts of AI on societies, environment, ecosystems and human lives, including the human mind." The 1945 Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declares that "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed." Presently, the same kind of thinking should be applied to one of the most serious global challenges that humanity currently faces, which is the future regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). ![]() The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN. ![]() Neuwirth is a professor of the Faculty of Law, University of Macau. ![]()
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