Will AI be able to crawl message boards and build complex profiles of users?
Even before AI, we've known that tech companies are creating profiles of us with quite detailed properties. Many apps ask permission to access gps location data. Although I don't use apps that require access to my personal data, I suspect that Google has a pretty detailed profile of me including gps locations and times.
Heretofore, I did not consider it much of a risk to post some specific information. For instance, if someone were to post "Today's my birthday!" and then an unrelated post 30 days later that person casually mentions that they are 65, well you can easily determine the date of birth. The amount of personal energy it would take to glean useful information over a person's posting history would make the task unfeasible. But if AI gets faster, cheaper, and more accessible, I can imagine AI could create a world that would be difficult to navigate.
I believe that my Reddit account was compromised in the past. I believe I was compromised through the more traditional methods. I was going through a difficult situation and was vulnerable. I believe my account was compromised through private messages and the sender gaining my confidence. Fortunately I regained control of my Reddit account, but at the same time my computer got a virus. I was so freaked out that I bought a new computer and a new phone. I still consider that a relatively inexpensive lesson learned. My point is that almost everyone writes posts that make them emotionally vulnerable.
So how much of this question is my own paranoia vs. a legitimate concern? I just went through all of my DU posts and removed info that I thought could profile me. I removed that information because it was all true. Everything I have left is also true. Though I imagine that some people on message boards (not here) make things up.
I wouldn't want message boards to become impersonal. The more you peruse a forum, the more likely you are to begin to recognize and know people. Community is nice and desirable. But still, one of the things that I like most about Reddit is that, depending on the subforum, people are talking about things that are unique and meaningful to them. For the most part, while reading a board/forum, I'm not taking note of the poster. I'm taking note of what the person is saying. I would hate for people to quit sharing their unique, sometimes terrifying, sometimes funny, sometimes bizarre life experiences.
So is my concern legitimate? If legitimate, what actions can I take to mitigate risk and still share a community? I'm not so concerned about my financial accounts, I've got two-factor authentication and strong passwords. It concerns me that by sharing too much I might be at risk for another confidence scam. Is that just the risks that we all have to take to be a community?
= new reply since forum marked as read
The computers never forget. When MAGA rules the country we will all be disappeared into the night and fog. DeSantis has promised as much already. 
