Making the Case for Unrestricted and Indiscriminate Data Collection: (a Prerequisite for the Success of Digital Economy)

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Proposition: Data will not be protected, at all. In other words, there will be unrestricted and indiscriminate data collection. And, privacy will undergo fundamental change. I do acknowledge and, in fact, admit that the preceding assertions are very radical given the stance of European Union and the propounders of AI ethics in different countries of the world on the issues of data collection, data protection and privacy. Even the business corridors are no strangers to the issues. Perhaps that is why the issue of trustworthiness is being promulgated in relation to data. Regardless, I still maintain my stance, grounding it in the matrix of reality, reasoning, law, and economic structuring. Also, the companies that are in control of technology landscape are either ‘ignoring’ ethics or resorting to them to avoid concrete government regulations. After all, a peculiar thing about technological advancement is that it precedes law making. Some experts have warned that the data regulations as it acts against AI oriented enterprises, whether old or new. Needless to say, regulation of AI will finally become redundant and, hence, counterintuitive as an idea when we achieve AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). In my opinion, academic and public discourse on data protection and data privacy are a deliberate attempt at misdirection. The work being done by ethics experts is not only counterintuitive to the direction in which the technological developments are unfolding but is also a desperate attempt in skewing the said development. The paper explains that in further detail. Data collection should be unrestricted, indiscriminate, and absolute. Why do I say that? There are many reasons but, primarily, the most important of them could be put forth as follows: 1) Data is a pre-requisite for digital economy. 2) Data is already being collected in the absence of any substantial laws or discarding the laws, in essence 3) More regulations do not conform to the principles of free market economy which the advanced economy stand with, in principle. 4) Regulations increase the cost in favour of a few and to the detriment of the rest of the players.