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I Miss Listening to Music

November last year, Daniel Ek, Spotify co-founder, announced that he invested €100 million into Helsing, a Europian defence AI company.

Back then, when I read it in the news, I decided to delete my Spotify account. I just heard that Helsing develops AI software in defence areas, and I didn’t want my money to be invested in those areas. This is not right, I believe.

I often listen(ed) to music while working. It helps me focus, and it removes the surrounding noise. The other day I realized I have listened to very few music at work, since I couldn’t find any better service than Spotify to just put on the music and go. I tried Youtube Music for a while but I didn’t like it, and… that was it. There were no other services like it. So I decided to give spotify another chance. I looked Helsing up.

It is not clear what Helsing does. Their website says Helsing is a new type of defence and artificial intelligence company:

We believe that software, in particular Artificial Intelligence, will be the key to protecting our democracies and deterring our adversaries. Our teams are designing technology products that are transforming the operational capabilities of both new and existing defence platforms. We are looking for people with their heart in the right place, who share our conviction that democratic values are worth protecting, for ourselves and for future generations.

I think there are some keywords particularly important here:

  • Protecting our democracy
  • Operational capabilities
  • Democratic values are worth protecting

Protecting our democracy

Well, yes. They know there’s no such thing as “the” democracy. It’s just “our” democracy, and it means, in practice, discrimination.

Operational capabilities

Of both new and existing defence platforms. But we should know, at least, what are the existing defence platforms are. Are the dogs patroling mexican border a defence platform? And what are the prototypes of the new defence platforms you are going to work on? Defence platforms in the hands of governments? Maybe too early for human beings.

Democratic values are worth protecting

Correct. But we need to ask questions constantly. Who defined, and who defines, these values? Who’s going to protect them? What happens in the case of conflict? How your AI understands and learns these values? What if they were wrong?

End note

I think I did the right thing to abandon spotify. After trying Youtube Music, I gave up the idea of streaming music completely. Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, Amazon Music, they all sell adds, not music. I want to give my money to the band and the musician, not the big companies. I have a musician friend and I don’t want him to struggle ordering food.

So I’m using bandcamp now and I’m paying for the music I buy. Bandcamp has a fair trade music policy which I like. The only catch is it is difficult to find new music based on your likings, which is quite ok in my opinion. Everyone should search to find their music. It’s clearly the right way.