Scar•dip•dap

noun: skills in many areas. a little of this and that.

PSA Newsletter 34: Privacy, Security, Automation!

ChatGPT Jettisons Scientist's Data, Deepfakes Are Now a Commodity, and Learning to Do More with Less...

Privacy

A German scientist became an unlikely cautionary tale about the dangers of overreliance on online hosted AI systems. While this story is framed as a data loss incident, what should be noted is that ChatGPT shares data by default and wipes all conversations and accrued data when that setting is reversed:

"In August 2025, while experimenting with ChatGPT’s data consent options, Bucher temporarily disabled data sharing to see whether the model would still function. It didn’t. Instead, every chat and project folder he had built over two years instantly disappeared."

This should serve as a pretty clear warning to not entrust sensitive or business-critical data to hosted AI systems. If you must use AI for your job, make sure the data you get back is saved elsewhere, outside of the AI system itself. [1]

Security

Despite repeated warnings, AI development has reached an inevitable tipping point where deepfake tools are both widely accessible and cheap to deploy for anyone. This makes them ripe for abuse by criminals, who are using these tools to scam enterprises and individuals at scale. Please refer to the analogue methods referenced in this newsletter for some ways to protect yourself from these scams. [2]

Autonomy

Since the global PC parts market has been completely ravaged by the AI datacenter gold rush, consumers and professional PC makers are struggling to obtain necessary computer components such as RAM, SSD's, and now, spinning disk hard drives. Everyone who isn't in an AI or AI-adjacent company is feeling the pain.

Rather than give up and turn to "The Cloud", which itself is a contributing factor of the current crisis, I've decided to examine my most important tasks and systems, with the goal of reducing power usage and complexity while deriving the same value. An easy way to accomplish this is to use existing or cheaper hardware for some tasks previously done on more expensive computers. Therefore, let's start with the first and most obvious entry in this "Do More With Less" series: using an iPad as a laptop replacement.

Since late last year, I find myself reaching for an iPad Mini/bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo over my trusted MacBook Pro when leaving the house. The screen may be smaller and I require a stand to adjust the device to a comfortable angle, but this iPad can handle much of my daily workload as well as, or better than my MacBook Pro at almost a quarter of the price. In fact, this very newsletter and its derived podcast episode were written, recorded, edited, and uploaded almost entirely on an iPad Mini. This would have been unthinkable a year ago.

I'll admit this may not be for everyone. However, if your workload includes lots of work in online office apps and taking written notes, I recommend giving it a try. I would however preface this setup with a few caveats:

  1. Use an existing USB-C iPad. The point of this exercise is to save money and models with this port ensure compatability with external drives, webcams, docking stations, and other accessories without adapters.
  2. Adjust the icon size and fonts to account for longer distance. This device will likely be standing further from your face than if you were holding it.

If you would like to pick up some Bluetooth peripherals, several are linked in the sources. I personally use a Targus folding keyboard and Logitech M350S Pebble mouse because they're multipoint devices and can be used with up to three different devices without re-pairing.

There are going to be more tough times ahead. As the computing industry moves further and further toward removing autonomy from users in pursuit of centrally-hosted services, it's important to rethink how we use our devices and remember that you don't have to give up your autonomy or your independence from the Cloud in order to use a computer or smart device. If you take a moment to examine some new ways of thinking and be a little more flexible, you'll be able to Do More With Less. [3] [4] [5]

Sources:

  1. Except where explicitly mentioned, absolutely no part of this newsletter was created with AI.
  2. All opinions expressed are solely my own and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer or anyone else.
  3. For support with any mentioned product, please reach out to the vendor first.
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