The Cloud Is a Lie: Your Data Lives in a Warehouse
We’ve all heard the term: "It’s in the cloud."
It sounds harmless. Light. Convenient. Almost magical.
But let’s be real — your data isn’t floating in the sky with rainbows and unicorns. It’s not drifting safely out of reach. It’s stored somewhere very real — on physical servers, in massive warehouses, run by tech giants you’ll never meet, inside buildings you’ll never see.
It’s called a data center, and it’s the digital version of Fort Knox… if Fort Knox also sold your info, tracked your moves, and took notes while you cried.
Yes, I Use AI — But I Know the Line
I use AI to help write. A lot. It’s one of the best tools in my creative toolbox — not because it’s perfect, but because it learns how to sound like me. It’s my co-writer, my proofreader, my idea bouncer.
But I don’t pretend for a second that this isn’t a trade-off.
I know that every prompt I give, every line I write, every idea I explore — it’s stored somewhere. Not in a puff of cloud — but in a server warehouse, run by people I didn’t vote for and powered by terms and conditions I probably didn’t read.
That’s why, while I embrace AI in the creative realm, I draw a hard damn line when it comes to doctors, therapists, vets, attorneys, and other human-centered care.
Because when AI starts “just taking notes,” it doesn’t stop there. It watches. It stores. It remembers — forever.
The Modern Surveillance State Is Real. And Expanding.
People act like privacy is outdated. Like if you’ve got nothing to hide, there’s nothing to fear.
Bullsh*t.
Privacy isn’t about hiding. It’s about owning yourself. It’s about knowing that not every moment of your life should be watched, logged, or “analyzed for efficiency.”
Here’s the truth:
The modern surveillance state doesn’t look like dystopia in the movies. It looks like your smart TV. Your “free” apps. Your convenience settings. Your Zoom therapy.
It looks like a system that remembers everything you’ve ever clicked, bought, said, or whispered — not to protect you, but to profile, monetize, and control.
And what’s wild is: We’ve seen this before.
Remember the Patriot Act? Some of Us Do.
The Patriot Act was passed just six weeks after 9/11 — a time when Americans were hurting, scared, and desperate for safety. It was supposed to be temporary. Targeted. A tool to stop terrorism.
But it quickly became something else:
A massive surveillance dragnet. A legal backdoor into your life. A blank check for the government to collect data, spy without warrants, and erode privacy in the name of “national security.”
That law opened the floodgates — and they’ve never closed.
If you think AI surveillance won’t follow the same path, you haven’t been paying attention. When something powerful is introduced under the guise of safety or convenience, it rarely stays in its lane.
So What Can We Do?
We don’t have to toss our phones in the river and live off-grid (though some days, it’s tempting).
But we do have to wake up.
Push back when AI creeps into places it doesn't belong.
Say no to recording devices in private appointments.
Use tools that protect your privacy, not exploit it.
Support companies and people who still give a damn about consent.
Stay vocal. Stay alert. Stay pissed, when needed.
AI has its place. But replacing the human in human care isn’t it.
You deserve doctors who look you in the eye. Therapists who don’t upload your grief to the cloud. Attorneys who protect your secrets — not outsource them to a server.
And above all, you deserve to know this:
The cloud is not a cloud. It’s a warehouse.
And someone’s watching what’s inside.
