The Secret Profile AI Has on You

More Than Just a Guess

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to extrapolate personal details—from political views to religious beliefs—based solely on seemingly innocuous digital footprints. The Atlantic explores how AI models trained on vast data sets claim to understand individuals beyond what they’ve explicitly shared. These tools are powering everything from personalized ads to employment screens, using complex inference algorithms that “fill in the gaps” of our online behavior. But as these models become more widespread, so do questions: What if they’re wrong? And more importantly—do we even know they’re being used?

Slippery Ethics and Informed Consent

Few people realize that AI is making detailed assumptions about them in the background—and even fewer have offered meaningful consent. The article highlights the murky ethics of deploying AI systems that create synthetic psychological profiles, often based on flawed or decontextualized data. These inferred identities can follow users across platforms, influencing how they’re treated without their awareness. Experts warn that even “highly accurate” systems can reinforce discrimination or miss crucial context, particularly in sensitive domains like hiring or policing. The opacity of inference leaves individuals with little recourse—and little understanding—of what AI actually “thinks” it knows.