The Machine Apocalypse is Already Underway
A lot of popular science fiction depict a future where artificial intelligence becomes self-aware and decides to kill and / or enslave humanity. I would argue that AI won’t destroy humanity with killer robots. It will use social media algorithms to make humanity destroy itself.
It’s happening now, albeit accidentally.
Social media sites and applications were designed to keep users on the platform for as long as possible through engagement in the form of clicks, likes, reactions, follows, etc. When a user reacts and engages with a piece of social media content, the algorithm will continue to show that user more of the same type of content.
The algorithm learns to give the user what they want and the user wants more of what the algorithm gives. The vicious cycle continues.
This situation creates online echo chambers, where people end up only seeing content that they agree with, along with those that demonize dissenting opinions. While it wasn’t the social media giants’ intention, this has fueled polarization, tribalism, conspiratorial thinking and tragic, real-world violence.
So we’re not likely to face an AI machine uprising. It’s going to be more of a gradual, social implosion caused by algorithms meant for generating ad revenues.
