Rushkoff: We humans are things to the IoT
Meaning the Internet of Things. From Rushkoff:
“The algorithms directing these bots and chips patiently try one technique after another to manipulate our behavior until they get the results they have been programmed to deliver. These techniques haven’t all been prewritten by coders. Rather, the algorithms randomly try new combinations of colors, pitches, tones, and phraseology until one works. They then share this information with the other bots on the network for them to try on other humans. Each one of us is not just up against whichever algorithm is attempting to control us, but up against them all. If plants bind energy, animals bind space, and humans bind time, then what do networked algorithms bind? They bind us. On the internet of things, we the people.”
This is equivalent to the approach used by AI-equipped vehicles to feed operational data back to a central point where learning from multiple vehicles can be included in new algorithm updates to all vehicles. Algorithms don’t get tired. They can poke at you forever until they discover your susceptibility.