How do social media algorithms feed us news, entertainment, advertisements, even suggesting friends and lovers? By grossly simplifying human nature, according to featured guest Dr. Robert Elliott Smith, Research Fellow in Computer Science at University College London and author of Rage Inside the Machine: How to Prevent the Internet from Making Bigots of Us All. 

Dr. Smith details how the same Artificial Intelligence (AI) that reaps engineering benefits has disastrous consequences for civil society. Raised in Birmingham Alabama in the 1960’s, he knows something about polarized situations. That upbringing, and his 30-year career in AI, informs Dr. Smith’s warnings about polarizing algorithms and advice on how to mitigate that damage.  

Original music composed and created by Ryan Adair Rooney. 

For show notes and transcript, please visit our website: www.fluentknowledge.com/shows/the-purple-principle/social-media-partisanship-polarizing-algorithms-and-a-blind-date-with-dividends-featuring-dr-robert-elliott-smith