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- 🔆 Capitalism in the AI Era
🔆 Capitalism in the AI Era
Why AI companies want your data, AI friends, and agents in your wallet.
Allegra Guinan & Emma G Moller
May 08, 2025
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🗞️ Issue 69 // ⏱️ Read Time: 6 min
In this week's newsletter
What we’re talking about: The reality of how and why AI systems are collecting information about you.
How it’s relevant: AI could solve huge problems, but big players in the space still tend to prioritize profit over the best user experiences and overall public good.
Why it matters: Knowing why companies want your data helps you control your relationship to technology and demand better innovation.
[Looking for the section Big Tech News of the Week? Move to the end of this newsletter.]
Hello 👋
In a previous issue of The Loop, we explored the profound importance of data privacy to our autonomy in the age of AI. This week, we continue that conversation by examining the largely invisible data collection ecosystem powering today's AI models.
We'll examine the driving forces behind this data race and ask whether current AI development is truly revolutionary or simply a way to maximize profit and returns within familiar capitalist models.
The Data Collection Race: Who Wants to Know You Best?
AI chatbots compete heavily on data. Google’s Gemini collects a reported 22 unique data points, more than many others. This includes precise location, contacts, content, history, identifiers, usage, and even purchases.