The Algorithms
Daniel I. Levy
Legal Leader | Financial Services | Cyber, Privacy, Technology, eDiscovery, AI | Leadership & Democracy
The Algorithms are quietly reshaping the way our kids and teens see the world, and the impact on their future—and on democracy—is alarming.
The Algorithms are designed to capture a new commodity: user attention. Across a variety of social platforms, users are now fed a steady stream of tailored content that often reinforces biases, spreads disinformation, and deepens divisions. For young people, who are still forming their views of the world, The Algorithms have a profound effect, creating echo chambers that narrow their perspectives and make them more susceptible to manipulation and unhappiness.
Unlike traditional media, where the source and intent of content are often clear, The Algorithms are driven by platforms that obscure these factors, making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction. As a result, teens (and increasingly, younger children) are growing up having their opinions spoon fed to them by unknown sources, shaped not by critical thinking, but by what The Algorithm thinks they want to see, or more cynically, what The Algorithm believes will capture their attention, regardless of whether they want to see it.
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The implications for the future, and in particular our democracy, are stark. An informed and engaged electorate is crucial for a healthy democracy, but if our future voters are being fed a diet of misinformation and polarization, the very foundation of our political system is at risk. We are seeing a generation emerge that may be less equipped to engage critically with information, more likely to cling to extreme views, and less able to participate meaningfully in democratic processes.
If we allow The Algorithms to continue unchecked, and allow the purveyors of The Algorithms to continue to cloak their identities and their agendas, we face a future where human agency and thinking is eroded. Are we ready to hand over our decision-making to The Algorithms? And if so, what will remain of our humanity?
Board Member | Strategic Advisor | Innovation Champion | Keynote Speaker | Applying insights gained through a lengthy career in national security to help strengthen America's competitiveness on the world stage.
7 个月This is a critically important topic that is not getting the attention it deserves. Thank you for the article.
Founding Partner of Cyber Law Firm | Technology & Cyber Law Chair of Gotham | Published Legal Scholar | Cybersecurity Law, Privacy Law, Internet Law | Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (ICCAE) Scholar
7 个月Incredible article. I have to say that the news is becoming increasingly similar to the algorithm lately. Which is further confusing society. I think in part this is as a result of the algorithm, as news anchors, media professionals, etc. themselves are likely also victim to extremism due to the algorithm and its trickle down impacts on society
Wild Card - draw me for a winning hand | Creative Problem Solver in Many Roles | Manual Software QA | Project Management | Business Analysis | Auditing | Accounting |
7 个月"We are the Borg. Resistance - is futile.?Your life, as it has been - is over.?From this time forward, you will service - us." So, where is the Riker and Janeway of our times?
Helping mid-sized organizations increase sales and improve customer service since 1993 | #LinkedInLocal
7 个月Great article Daniel I. Levy, thanks for this! You may be interested in Cathy O'Neil's TED Talk "The era of blind faith in big data must end" (April 2017). From the summary of her TED Talk: Algorithms decide who gets a loan, who gets a job interview, who gets insurance and much more -- but they don't automatically make things fair. Mathematician and data scientist Cathy O'Neil coined a term for algorithms that are secret, important and harmful: "weapons of math destruction." Learn more about the hidden agendas behind the formulas. https://www.ted.com/talks/cathy_o_neil_the_era_of_blind_faith_in_big_data_must_end
Senior Intelligence Service Officer (Ret.). Experience in geopolitical risk, crisis management, national security, international relations and leadership, all with a focus on the wellbeing of his colleagues..
7 个月Dan- Good article. One addition or change I would make would be to add “adults” to those at risk of influence from algorithm-curated content sent their way (I.e., not just teens and kids these days who are under the spell of this stuff). And - this is not a political statement - I would submit that even traditional or mainstream sources of news and information - whether from left or right- are rife with omissions, lies, half truths, some accurate information, some dubious information, and so on. Clearly a challenge for all to try like hell to know the actual story or truth. The internet has a field day with the impressionable and gullible. The challenge is to illuminate and inform with facts and truths. Who’s doing that for real today?