Fascinating post.

I'm of two minds on this one.

1. The level of AI today (Watson, Big Blue etc) cannot reason, it cannot feel. All actions and decisions are based on a logical decision tree that has to be structured. Watson is probably the closest we have to something that can make decisions, but it lacks a fundamental ability required, the ability to articulate the "Why" it made a decision. It can scan millions of records and say it's decision is likely the correct answer with a 77% certainty rating, but it cannot ultimately give you an understandable why.

2. Your theme appears to be the worry of being hacked, of being guided "against your will". I fully believe that in today's society we are being hacked daily. The hacking is through Social Media, Television, Radio and Billboards. Buying Product A, vs Product B. Eating foods we KNOW to be unhealthy. Smoking. Drinking. All of these things are societal hacks that influence us to do things that are not in our best interest.

Will there come a point where someone can hack directly into our neural network to imprint information directly into our senses? Yes - without a doubt that will occur in the next 50 years. Will it be that much of a change from how we are daily "hacked" through the influence on our decisions?

I don't think it will.