The oracle says so
We’ve always had, I believe, this propensity to outsource our
decision-making. When we have too many options, we want a strong figure to tell
us what to do. Hence so many cults of personality (QAnon?).
That explains our relationship with machines. Having people fill in forms asking
for all sorts of personal data, then presenting them with a loading indicator
that says “Analysing your profile” or something, is tremendously popular, and it
works. Would I, full of imperfections, be able to pick my own destiny
successfully? Of course not. Better let the algorithm decide for me.
AI job marketplace. AI-powered dating apps. An AI to assess
creditworthiness. The future is dark.
The algorithm is the new oracle. We trust experts less and less, and machines
more and more. Big loss. The other day I was in a car, with an ambulance
approaching from behind. We were stopped at a red light. My friend would not
move her car to let the ambulance pass because of the red light camera ahead of
us. The experience felt representative of how better machines can make us worse
people.
Better machines make for worse people
Here’s a theory I’d like to put forth. It has not been empirically tested, as
far as I know.
Other things to bring up
- The ELIZA effect
- Hofling hospital experiment
- Milgram experiment
- Hooked? Gamification?