Federally developed app to predict "psychological status" available for private licensing

Discussion in 'Tin Foil Hat Lounge' started by Katana Lee, Sep 27, 2015.


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  1. Katana Lee

    Katana Lee Monkey

    Feds Developed App That Predicts ‘Psychological Status’ of Americans
    $8.9 million NIH study led to mobile system for ‘real time behavior monitoring’

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    AP

    BY: Elizabeth Harrington
    September 25, 2015 4:45 pm

    Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed a system that can predict the “psychological status” of users with smartphones and hope to private companies to bring the invention to the market.

    The technology appeared on a list of NIH inventions published in the Federal Register that are now available to be licensed by private companies. The government allows companies to license inventions resulting from federal research in order to expedite their arrival on the marketplace.

    The system uses smartphones to ask people how they are doing mentally during the day and based on the results can “deliver an automated intervention” if necessary.

    “The NIH inventors have developed a mobile health technology to monitor and predict a user’s psychological status and to deliver an automated intervention when needed,” according to the notice published Wednesday. “The technology uses smartphones to monitor the user’s location and ask questions about psychological status throughout the day.”

    “Continuously collected ambulatory psychological data are fused with data on location and responses to questions,” the NIH said. “The mobile data are combined with geospatial risk maps to quantify exposure to risk and predict a future psychological state. The future predictions are used to warn the user when he or she is at especially high risk of experiencing a negative event that might lead to an unwanted outcome (e.g., lapse to drug use in a recovering addict).”

    The NIH said the technology has potential commercial applications for “real-time behavior monitoring” and “therapeutic delivery of an intervention via a mobile device.”

    Researchers developed the system from a project that tracked the mood and cravings of drug users in Baltimore. The $8.9 million federal study sought to develop algorithms that could “automatically detect behavioral events (such as episodes of drug use or stress) without requiring self-report.”

    The NIH said the app is currently being used for drug addiction interventions, but that the “inventors are also seeking to test the technology for other health applications.”

    Request for comment from the NIH was not returned by press time.

    Link to Federal Register listing - Federal Register | Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing
     
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  2. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    The voices in my head are telling me that this technology may conceivably have some useful positive health applications for adopters, but I have to say, corporations and governments being what they are...there is plenty of potential for abuse.

    There is no patient-client confidentiality relationship between a person and their smart 'phone. For that reason, I don't make my spiritual confessions via my smart 'phone. My android vicar's confessional seal is not sacred, and it's not hacker proof.
    :eek:
     
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  3. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    There's something missing from this equation...

    Who will be the first to find it?
     
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  4. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Interesting - so when will the smartphone owners be jailed, based on what the app "thinks" they're about to do?
     
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  5. NotSoSneaky

    NotSoSneaky former supporter

    I'll bet dollars to dognuts this "automated intervention" involves an armed drone or a bearcat with a swat team.[tongue]
     
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  6. UncleMorgan

    UncleMorgan I like peeling bananas and (occasionally) people.

    How long before the app is improved to the point that it no longer needs to ask you questions? How long until it simply monitors your every word and rates your mental health on the basis of what you say and who you say it to? And how long before it's installed on your phone whether you want it or not?

    And how long before you are required by law to own a smart phone and use it daily? After all, you could be in a a dangerous mental state, and failing to provide enough smartphone interaction to allow your real time continuing assessment is clearly an indication that you need to.
     
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  7. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Sweet.... that would allow the boss to know when he has really pissed me off vs him just guessing that he may have crossed my anger threshold. Maybe it would also send him an alert every time a new job opportunity came across the wire for me. ;)

    “real-time behavior monitoring” [no]
     
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  8. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    Thanks for the post. Forewarned is forearmed. now I just need to teach my smart phone to lie. ;)@Brokor what is missing? I'm not tracking. Unless ofc you think the licensing agreement will pay off the national debt. ;)I am suspicious as well the licensing agreement will probably have a mandatory data sharing component disguised as necessary to 'improving' the product.
     
  9. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    ---> No human involved with the diagnosis. <---

    Also, G -are you aware of the fact that you sometimes double space in the middle of your sentences? I fixed it for you ;)
     
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  10. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    Nine of the voices in my head say "be calm, Smile" the tenth voice says "Burn Baby Burn...";)
     
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  11. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Always listen to the voice of dissent.... you just never know when they may be right and if they have information that you do not. :)
     
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  12. HK_User

    HK_User A Productive Monkey is a Happy Monkey

    This is the kind of wasteful .gov work that just makes me want to PUKE>
     
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  13. DarkLight

    DarkLight Live Long and Prosper - On Hiatus

    That's the whole idea behind the "Minority Report". ;)

    The voice of dissent can hang a jury as well. Just sayin'.
     
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  14. Katana Lee

    Katana Lee Monkey

    Speaking of Minority Report finally watched it last night.

    Way too close to what is going on nowadays.
     
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