What happens next is unclear, but Bedoya said he hopes Congress can focus on a package of specific reforms, such as protections that forbid tracking individuals by location or facial recognition without their consent. Such measures should also strengthen the Federal Trade Communication, which has a 2011 consent decree against Facebook that remains one of the U.S. government's most powerful protections against future privacy abuses.

What trends are truly inevitable? Our latest Freakonomics Radio episode is called "The Future (Probably) Isn't as Scary as You Think." Internet pioneer Kevin Kelly tries to predict the future by identifying what's truly inevitable. How worried should we be? Yes, robots will probably take your job -- but the future will still be pretty great. Below is a transcript of the episode, modified for your reading pleasure. For more information on the people and ideas in the episode, see the links at the bottom of this post. And you'll find credits for the music in the episode noted within the transcript. When you try to envision the future, what do you see? Do you see a grim picture? A world, perhaps, in which humans have become marginalized? Where technologies created to help us have gained the upper hand? The film industry takes a rather dim view of the future, doesn't it? KEVIN KELLY: Indeed, I can't think of a single Hollywood movie about the future on this planet that I want to live in.

It is surprising how much ink is spilled on theories that banking is about to be wiped out by a tsunami called fintech, resulting in the alleged mass closure of banks and unemployment of financial services professionals. Last time I was in New York, Wall Street was intact and thriving and specialized financial crime lawyers like myself were busier than ever. First, the law stands in the way of fintech displacing even one dollar of financial services. A fintech company is not a Brooklyn pizza stand – it cannot survive without being connected to the financial system, which requires a banking partner and a banking relationship. In other words, fintech cannot disrupt anything unless the banks and lawyers (as regulators) let them.

"It doesn't matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running." In my previous article, I discussed how AI has become a ground reality and is already touching our lives and businesses. As its use cases expand and the contagion spreads, it is important for businesses to not only watch it closely but to take certain steps to prepare themselves in the race for survival. As during any technology revolution, it is going to be a tough transition.