Are politics more extreme or is it just social media?

Why do things seem so extreme?

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Logging on to social media can be overwhelming, even on the best days. Logging onto platforms like YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram, it’s easy to be bombarded by content that shows people with strangely extreme views. Why is this? Well, the bottom line is that people are more likely to watch and engage with this type of content because it gets a rise out of people.  Another factor in this is also the anonymity of the internet, and the lack of a person immediately in front of them leads people to be more likely to be less civil and more aggressive. Anyone who has posted something that someone disagrees with can notice how fast people resort to name-calling and a stubborn disregard for views.

The obvious but simple fact is that when you engage with content by liking/disliking and commenting on content, the algorithms on these apps/sites will show you more of the same content. If I like or agree with a video with a conservative tilt, I’ll be shown much more conservative content even when I don’t agree with many of those points. When I engage with more liberal and progressive content, the content very quickly swings the opposite way. Now I’d like to believe I’m informed I must go out of my way to check multiple sources to ensure I am.

Why don’t I see balanced content or people with moderate views?

This research study shows the simple fact is people with moderate views don’t post about their opinion for fear of it being used against them or just online harassment. This leaves the apparent space online for the vocal minority of both sides trying to hog the spotlight and work with social media algorithms to boost the attention they receive.

Why do you think extreme views get more attention than moderate ones?

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COM0015 Social Media, AI and the Death of Privacy

How our data is currently used

Social media has integrated itself over the last 15 years as an integral part of how societies operate on economic, social and cultural levels. This evolution of technology has however sacrificed much of our personal privacy. Companies that own apps like Facebook, Instagram, and other similar apps. With an attractive business model of being absolutely free to use. For many people it wasn’t immediately obvious all their data would store, analyzed and sold off to companies and governments for an edge in everything from marketing to monitoring criminal activity.

The current impact in films and music

Artificial intelligence has now come into the mix of these technologies and once again access to this cutting-edge tech has generally been given away free or for very low cost. From the film industry resurrecting dead actors with deepfake technology to people on youtube making their favorite artists cover any songs or even write new ones.

Source: Chole Veltman NPR

The end of anonymity with Artificial Intelligence

So what does this all end up leading to? If video and voice can be generated in such a way that is indistinguishable from real forms of media. How will we be able to discern what is real and what is false in the digital world? This is where the governments will inevitably step in. Mandatory digital identification will be required to use even the most basic apps.

How our digital identfication could be used against us?

Imagine insurance companies turning you down based on your diet by analyzing what you eat day to day via what you buy at the grocery store and order through food applications. Car insurance companies could easily track your driving habits via your in car gps. All this data being collected and then processed by artificial intelligence to calculate the probability of crashes that you could cause against the average driver.

What do you think?

What will the future hold for our privacy with the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence? How do you think the data companies have on us could be used against us?

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Ever wondered about how artifical intelligence could affect our freedoms and right to privacy?

Find out how it’s happening right now.

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Will AI give companies too much insight into our personal lives?

Find out here!