Former UN Human Rights Expert and Founder of Bluenumber for Digital Equity and Data Rights. He shapes policy on rights and technology.
In the Age of Information, data types are a way to understand what makes each of us unique. In geek-speak, a data type is an attribute “of data that tells a computer system how to interpret its value.” So to make efficient systems, data types ensure that the data a system needs is available in the right formats and has relevant values.
When we think about people, we speak of genetics—our genotype—and how that manifests as physical traits, or our phenotype. These help us understand how our environment interacts with our genetic makeup to shape who we are. But today we are also digital. Our data influences and shapes our relationship with the world as much as our genetic blueprint and physical traits.
To capture the complexity of our lives, including our thoughts, behaviors and environment over our genetics and physicality, imagine having a data type to describe us in our global systems—a sum of our genetics, physical traits, personality, lifestyle and behaviors. Think of it like a comprehensive digital model of you or me to understand, predict and improve how we operate in the world.
From Genotype And Phenotype To Data Type
Let’s first revisit the basics. Our genotype is our DNA, the blueprint of genes we inherit from our parents. Our phenotype is the traits we actually see—the color of our eyes, our height, our risk for certain diseases—as the outcome of how our genotype interacts with our environment.
While genotype and phenotype give us valuable insights, they don’t capture everything. They miss the dynamic aspects of our lives—how we think, how we behave and how our environment continuously influences us. This is where the idea of a personal data type comes in.
Sync And Swim
A personal data type would digitally integrate five layers of information:
• Our genetic information (genotype), including our DNA sequence, with information about genetic predispositions, like the risk of developing certain diseases or inheriting specific traits.
• Our phenotypic data of observable traits such as physical appearance, health metrics (like blood pressure or cholesterol levels) and any medical conditions.
• Our environment and the external factors we are subject to—where we live, what we eat, our exposure to toxins and pollutants. This includes factors like our family life, work environment and social interactions.
• Our psychographic data, including the psychological and emotional aspects of our personality, such as values, beliefs, interests and lifestyle choices. For example, do you prefer stability or do you thrive on change? Do you value creativity or tradition?
• Our behavioral data—habits, routines and patterns of behavior. Do we exercise, sleep well, manage stress? How do we make daily decisions?
How Would Having A Data Type Work?
Imagine gathering your data in a digital profile that evolves as you go about your life. This profile is yours—your property—and would be more than just a static snapshot; it would be a dynamic, living model that reflects your current state and can predict future outcomes. Here’s how you could use it:
• For Personalized Healthcare: By offering your data type to doctors, they could predict how you might respond to different treatments, identify health risks early and create customized care plans. For example, say your genotype shows a predisposition to heart disease and your behavioral data shows a sedentary lifestyle. In this case, your doctor would recommend specific changes, and you could both monitor results in real time.
• For Behavioral Insights: By analyzing your patterns of behavior and psychographic data, you would gain insights into why you act the way you do. You could make better decisions, break bad habits or develop new skills. For instance, if you struggle with stress, your data type could identify triggers and suggest coping strategies tailored to your personality.
• For Personal Development: Life coaches and self-improvement tools could use your data type to help you set and achieve personal goals. Whether it’s improving your health, learning new skills or enhancing your relationships, your personal data type could provide tailored advice and track your progress.
Leveraging Your Data Type
The benefits accrue when you de-silo yourself to gain a holistic understanding from diverse data sources for a complete picture of who you are—not just genetics or physical traits, but also personality, behaviors and environment. By combining all this data, services and products can be tailored specifically to you—from healthcare to education and even entertainment.
Importantly, your data type can be predictive and preventative. This is already what professionals or providers try to do, but they rely on your recollections and interpretations to convey information. Do you know everything your doctor, trainer, friends and family know about you? Are you a reliable hub of information? With a comprehensive dataset, predictive models could foresee potential health issues, behavioral challenges or other life events, allowing you to take preventative action.
Perhaps most interestingly, a personal dataset is a step closer to knowing yourself, providing deep insights into your personality and behavior, helping you understand yourself better and make more informed choices—without bias or a bill at the end of the hour.
Data Types Are Future Us
The idea of a data type for us is already a reality. But we do not own us. There are elements in digital health records, wearable fitness trackers and now digital IDs and wallets. Such technologies will inevitably converge into a comprehensive system that represents the whole you. Before we are entirely owned by others, we must claim our unique data types as sacred as our genotypes and phenotypes. Having a personal data type under our power should be our right, no less than having confidential medical records. Our dataset will empower us to take control of our health and well-being to make informed decisions and live more fulfilling lives.
The concept of a personal data type is a new frontier in our understanding of ourselves. By integrating genetic, phenotypic, environmental, psychographic and behavioral data into a single digital profile, we have a complete picture of who we are and how we interact with the world.
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