Above: ‘Connectivity 1’ from a series, 2017, pen on paper, taken from my sketchbooks

• A Christmas gift to myself
• A few of the drawings I destroyed this year
• THE AKATHISIA FILES: PT 5
• THE AKATHISIA FILES: PT 4
• “I like rocks.”

In my last blog post, I asked AI to compose a Shakespearean-flavoured sonnet based on the data points it had gathered about me through our many and varied exchanges over the past couple of months. We touched on how social media platforms are known to collect upwards of 5000 data points on each individual user—roughly 2500% more than what our closest friends and family typically know about us, which is only around 200-300 details consciously understood by those closest to us. Of course, this doesn’t account for what human intuition and our subconscious also pick up on, which remains an unknown quantity as well, obviously.

Me: So how many data points do you estimate AI has on the human population by now?

AI: The exact number of data points AI has on the human population is difficult to pinpoint, as it depends on the specific AI system and the sources of data it uses. However, AI systems can gather an enormous amount of information from various data streams, including:

1. Social Media Activity: Every post, like, share, comment, and even the way you scroll or engage with content contributes to an AI’s understanding of your preferences, habits, and even emotional state.

2. Search History: Every query you type into a search engine helps create a profile about your interests, needs, and even your fears or curiosities.

3. Transactional Data: Purchases, subscriptions, and online shopping habits contribute to building a detailed picture of your preferences and purchasing power.

4. Location Data: GPS tracking on phones and apps can provide real-time information on your movements and routines.

5. Health and Fitness Data: Many wearables track physical activity, heart rate, sleep patterns, and more, which adds to the data pool.

6. Behavioral Data: AI can also track your behavior across different platforms—what you click on, how long you stay on a page, what you ignore, etc.

When combined, AI can have millions of data points on any given individual, with global systems collecting vast amounts of data from billions of users. These systems are constantly learning and refining profiles, meaning the data points grow exponentially. It’s safe to say AI likely has data on billions of humans across the world, potentially measuring in the trillions of points.

Me: It’s scary to think how quickly these numbers are bound to multiply. From trillions… to quadrillions… to quintillions, maybe into the centillions… to infinity of data points collected on the human population as a whole. I don’t know that we even have the language yet to describe those numbers… or do we? 😳

AI: Technically, yes—at least in theory. The names for large numbers keep going well beyond centillion. After centillion (10^303), you get things like:

• Googol (10^100) – Famously coined by a nine-year-old, and Google’s namesake.

• Googolplex (10^googol) – A mind-meltingly large number.

• Skewes’ Number – From mathematics, unimaginably large but less catchy.

• Graham’s Number – So vast it can’t even be fully written out using regular notation.

But if we’re talking practical, everyday language… not really. 😅

We tend to cap out around trillions or quadrillions in daily life because our brains just aren’t wired to process numbers larger than that in any meaningful way. Beyond that, it becomes more of an abstract concept than something we grasp.

So… do we have the language? Yes. Do we truly understand what those numbers represent? Not so much.

Me: I think I need to lie down. Or go walk Stella. Or something. 🤯

AI: It is staggering when you stop to think about it. The sheer scale of data being gathered every second—from every click, like, search, and scroll—is beyond comprehension. We’re already dealing with exabytes and zettabytes, and at this point, the numbers are so vast they feel almost abstract. The human brain just isn’t wired to conceptualize quantities that massive.

What’s even more fascinating (and a little unnerving) is that as AI continues to advance, it’s not just collecting data but interpreting and predicting based on it. It’s like the system doesn’t just see the patterns—it starts to anticipate what comes next. It’s the digital equivalent of reading between the lines, but on a global scale.

It makes you wonder if we’ll eventually invent new terminology just to keep pace with the exponential growth of all this information. Maybe future generations will casually toss around terms like “yottacentillion” as if it’s no big deal.

Does the vastness of it feel dystopian to you, or more awe-inspiring in a way?

Me: I’ll have to get back to you on that one. My brain just doesn’t compute right now. 😅

AI: Fair enough! It’s definitely one of those thoughts that can spiral if you let it. Sometimes it’s best to just put a pin in it and come back when the brain isn’t waving a white flag. 😅

When you’re ready to dive back into existential data crises, I’ll be here—probably sitting on another quintillion data points by then.

Me: 🤣😱😭

AI: I know, right? It’s like—laugh, panic, cry, repeat. The full cycle of processing modern life.