Yes, there is a problem.

No, you don't properly differentiate AI from Machine Learning and just plain smart spyware.

We should fear the coming of "the artificially aware robots" but they are a long way off.

Machine Learning is a tool that can be used for good or evil, it is not evil itself.

Whether we are being manipulated by just plain smartly coded spyware/marketing or spyware/marketing developed using machine learning does not matter. Having your face in a smart phone, tablet, laptop is not really that much worse than spending all ones time reading books and magazines or watching old school TV or playing arcade games.

Is the problem worse now because sophisticated software makes our distractions more addicting? I think that might be the case.

Is it possible that we seek escape more often now because we are more aware of the apocalyptic catastrophes we are facing? Maybe.

I think we are about to turn a corner on this, more and more of us are realizing and shunning screen addiction. More and more of us understand we are being spied upon and targeted.

TEK