Okay Google, what is with this cough that I’ve had since a week and a half ago? I have lost my voice for two days. Help me.

Do I want to know the answer? Yes. Would I think it’s accurate? I don’t know.

It is nice of Google to see if I have a disease just from symptoms, especially if it is life-threatening. However, I don’t think I can trust it. Not just the information, but also, with privacy.

The article on whether Google should tell you if you have cancer describes something that is, or can be something that can be implemented in our phones and computer systems. They can tell us what is wrong with us, by noticing finger tap speeds, for example.

But the problem lies where, what if I just happened to tap my fingers slower on my iPhone, and Siri tells me I have some sort of disease that results in a cognitive decline even though I’m just simply tired? It would make me unnecessarily worried and I I might make an unnecessary trip to the doctor’s office to waste time and money and risk catching someone’s cold. I’m afraid that accuracy here will impact my trust with these systems.

And also privacy. We all know now that Google tracks our searches and sells that info to advertisers. I wouldn’t want to trust them with my medical conditions that can be linked to me, and spread to people I don’t know just wanting to rely on me to make money.

On one hand, technology telling us we have something wrong with out bodies is useful. On the other hand, is it safe? Is it accurate? We wouldn’t know until it has been put to practical use.