Google Odyssey 2012 – "I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that"

If you think Google’s personalization options are all designed to make your life easier, you might want to give some thought as to where this might end. According to Andrew Keen, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has bold plans for Google to not just answer what we ask it, but tell us what’s good for us.

Here is how he described what he hoped the search engine would look like in five years: “The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ And ‘What job shall I take?’ ”

Schmidt’s goal is not inconsiderable: By 2012, he wants Google to be able to tell all of us what we want. This technology, what Google co-founder Larry Page calls the “perfect search engine,” might not only replace our shrinks but also all those marketing professionals whose livelihoods are based on predicting ? or guessing ? consumer desires.

Am I the only one who’s seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, Matrix or Terminator? Hello, people, don’t let the computers get so smart that they try telling us what to do.

<Begin Google Cop> “I’m sorry Andy, I’m afraid I can’t let you continue this blog post…terminating connection” </freewill>