Virtual Private Networks (VPN’s) are big business. As the Internet spread to more and more places in the early 21st century, so the privacy dangers of its open system of communication were exposed. It was too easy to spy on all that information flowing around. Ways were needed to allow the data to travel Internet routes in a more secure fashion, like money transported on a public motorway in an armoured vehicle. VPN’s arose to become part of the solution. They set up an encrypted tunnel between two systems to let them exchange data in a way which has to be decoded before it can be read. Amongst other benefits, such VPN’s allow home workers to connect in a safe way to their company’s servers and personal users to hide their identity and location.
But what will protect us from the prying eyes of the owners of online LLM’s? These AI models require vast amounts of data to be trained to mimic humans; they need to see huge numbers of words and pictures in order to set their parameters well. So the conversations we have with them become part of their training. But, more than that, as we converse online with them, who we are is also exposed through our login details, IP address and other personal data which can be used by the model provider for purposes such as advertising and data selling. Using an LLM can infringe our privacy. So what can help? Duck.AI says it offers a solution.
Duck.AI is like a VPN for LLM’s. It gives a way to chat indirectly with LLM’s to enhance privacy. This free service claims that no data passed via them will be used to train future LLM’s and, also, that they strip out any data which can identify the user before sending it on to the LLM. As a result, to the model it looks like they’re communicating with DuckDuckGo (the owner of Duck.AI) rather the actual individual. This means that even if the user puts personal information in their chat, it cannot be traced back to them. Duck.AI provides a private tunnel to the LLM.
Link: Duck.AI
Privacy and anonymity systems like VPN’s and Duck.AI are valuable tools for persecuted Christians around the world. They give such folk ways to communicate and learn which shield them from the ever-watching state in which they live. The tools aren’t perfect, of course. There are still ways to detect ‘illegal’ activity and unearth user information. But they do make it harder for the authorities to track individuals and so can be safer ways to connect with fellow Christians in countries with less oppression.
But what about in the Bible itself: do we find any scenarios which play strongly on privacy and anonymity? Well, there are places where a verse’s meaning in encoded in some way, such as John’s “let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast” (Revelation 13:18). And there are private moments recorded where others are excluded from listening in, such as Mount Sinai where – out of concern for His holiness – God only allows Moses and Joshua to climb to the very top (Exodus 24). Or think of the Last Supper where Jesus arranges a signal-and-password system to ensure his pre-cross Passover meal with the disciples is kept private (Luke 22:7-13). All these show that there are times and places in life where it’s good and right to take steps to maintain privacy from other people.
However, never forget that there is one from whom nothing can be hidden (Matthew 12:36-37).
Photo by Barnabas Davoti on Unsplash
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Introduction to this series of posts
Cover photo by Denley Photography on Unsplash
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.