Datashock.

That’s the title of the keynote address given at the Texas REALTORS® Winter Meeting by Jennifer Golbeck, director of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab and associate professor in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. It’s also how you may feel after viewing the 50-minute long presentation, which is both entertaining and unsettling. 

Her talk ranged from an introduction to artificial intelligence to explaining what AI can and can’t do. She encouraged REALTORS® to consider three questions when assessing AI-based business tools:

  1. Does the app or tool explain where its data comes from?
  2. Would people consent to sharing that data?
  3. Is there transparency in how the application’s algorithm works?

A negative answer to any of those questions is a red flag, according to Golbeck. REALTORS® should assess their own technology tools and consider whether using privacy tools such as location blockers and VPN services are right for them, she said. Watch the entire presentation: