In Tim I Trust

The Apple Watch has already breached my defenses.

The inputs: a person's

internet searches,

driving patterns ("the number of trips taken, duration of trips, left turns versus right turns and time spent on the highway versus local roads"),

how he or she uses a computer mouse or touchpad.

the time it takes to fill out a weekly online health questionnaire.

The black box: artificial intelligence and big data.

The output: the probability that he or she has early-stage Parkinson's or Alzheimer's Disease .

The above is a trend sweeping health care: the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help better diagnose and treat patients. [bold added]

A Duke University doctor working with Microsoft researchers sifted through data on the physical movements of computer users that came from millions of internet searches. Their study found links between some behaviors—such as tremors when using a mouse, repeat queries and average scrolling velocity—and Parkinson’s disease. They used artificial intelligence, or a computer analysis, to identify which of the metrics separated a control group from those searching for Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

It used to be that family members were the first to notice that something is amiss. The machines that we touch every day--cars, phones, computers--are now more accurate, quicker, and smarter diagnosticians than loved ones. But what about individual privacy?

I HOPE that Apple lives up to its standards.

For those who are too cautious to buy a TV that can watch them, or a smart speaker that monitors what they're saying, the promise of real-time health monitoring may the lure that allows the Internet of Things(IoT) into personal space.

As for me, it's too late. My Apple Watch, which has been tracking me for 1½ years, knows more about me than my doctor.

In Tim Cook I trust (because I don't have any choice).