

How AI is using your data to influence you
57 snips May 30, 2025
Sandra Matz, a computational social scientist and author of 'Mind Masters', delves into how AI uses data for psychological targeting. She discusses the fascinating yet alarming ability of digital footprints to craft detailed personality profiles. Matz emphasizes the importance of protecting personal data against these influences and calls for better regulatory measures. The conversation also touches on the implications of innovations like trineural implants, raising questions about privacy and control in our tech-driven lives.
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AI Profiles Personality Accurately
- Sandra Matz profiled host Manoush Zomorodi's personality using her old tweets via AI to demonstrate psychological data targeting.
- The profile matched traits like openness and extroversion, illustrating how online traces reveal personality.
Personality-Based Ads Boost Sales
- Matz collaborated with a UK beauty retailer to tailor Facebook ads by personality traits to boost sales.
- Extroverted women saw ads emphasizing social attention, introverts saw calming messages; sales rose by about 50%.
AI Democratizes Psychological Profiling
- AI's rapid spread allows anyone to predict psychological traits from public digital footprints without needing explicit training datasets.
- This democratizes and accelerates psychological profiling beyond corporate or academic exclusivity.