However negative the effects of artificial intelligence on users may be, they are nowhere near as serious as the effects of social media. That is true, of course, of today’s social networks and today’s AI systems. We do not know what either will look like in a few years, or what their effects will be then.
It is better for a person to converse with a computer than to become part of a fanatical crowd. Better in every respect. Social media offers no real advantage.
And now there is yet another study confirming this. Social networks amplify extreme, radical, and irrational positions, while artificial intelligence encourages moderation.
Naturally. The difference is already evident in the mode of expression itself. On Facebook one hears, “corrupt politicians are shamelessly robbing us,” while artificial intelligence says, “holders of political office commit embezzlement statistically more often than the general population, and the sums involved are larger by orders of magnitude.” On Facebook one hears, “green fanatics are impoverishing us,” while artificial intelligence says that “Green Deal programs are incompatible with maintaining the current standard of living.” On Facebook one hears, “women are victims of the patriarchy,” while artificial intelligence says, “in certain areas women face distrust regarding their abilities.”
Both formulations express the same underlying idea. The first provokes a flood of emotion and shuts down rationality; the second encourages an analytical approach. A wise person should ideally be capable of making that transition independently, yet artificial intelligence can assist in the process.
One can, however, easily imagine a future in which artificial intelligences with highly emotional modes of expression also become available.