AI puts surveillance economy on steroids, Proton COO warns
66% of users discussed personal finances and sexual health with chatbots.
Proton Mail logo on a cell phone on a computer. Image by ecbphotos/Shutterstock
Follow us
- Proton COO Raphael Auphan says AI worsens the surveillance economy because users share more personal data.
- Proton’s survey found 66% of users discussed sensitive topics with chatbots, including finances, sexual health, and relationships.
- Proton faces backlash after reports said its CEO pushed more AI use in code, raising security concerns.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Raphael Auphan, a chief operations officer at privacy-focused company Proton, says AI makes the existing surveillance economy even worse.
Speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon, one of the largest tech events globally, Auphan warned about the risks that the increasing AI use poses to privacy.
He argued that big tech has built the surveillance economy over the last decade, in which users of these companies' products become products themselves due to the data they share.
“AI puts the surveillance economy on steroids, because users are sharing more data,” he said during the panel discussion about breaking dependencies on big tech.
Auphan cited a recent survey conducted by Proton, which found that 66% of users have discussed at least one sensitive topic with a chatbot, including personal finances, sexual health, and relationships.
“We cannot pay for this surveillance economy for the next 10 years. We don't want to be dependent on companies which are just grabbing data,” he added.
Proton is offering privacy-focused tools, including email service Proton Mail and password manager Proton Pass. The company also markets itself as a better alternative to big tech.
Proton on edge over AI
Auphan's remarks come as Proton is facing a public backlash after 404 Media reported that the company’s CEO, Andy Yen, is pushing for more AI use in writing code, sparking security concerns within the company.
The exclusive report, based on interviews with 8 current and 1 former Proton employees and a review of Slack chats, meeting recordings, and the firm’s AI manifesto, resulted in a major PR crisis for the Swiss company.
After an employee suggested taking at least a few days to pentest newly written code before pushing it live, Yen reportedly responded by calling the idea “bullshit and loser thinking,” telling the team to “use AI more,” according to 404 Media.
Proton issued an apology after some users threatened to cancel their subscriptions. It also denied earlier reports that it installed tracking software on employees’ laptops to measure how much AI-generated code they produce, saying it was a “misunderstanding.”
