Why Are We Spending All This Time on YouTube?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

The average watch time per day is 60 minutes now. The YouTube product officer, chief product officer Neil Mohan said it's because our recommendations are getting that good. And we're not talking about the fact that this is in huge asymmetry of power. They have super computers. I mean, who has the biggest super computers in the world? It's Google and it's Facebook. Also, we blame ourselves. We blamed teenagers for having bad self control. But you have a super computer playing against your brain, as you said. And it will find your weaknesses. Whatever you it's already studied the weaknesses of billions of people, it will find them. Yeah. Are there any specific examples

When we press play on a YouTube video, we set in motion an algorithm that taps all available data to find the next video that keeps us glued to the screen. Because of its advertising-based business model, YouTube’s top priority is not to help us learn to play the accordion, tie a bow tie, heal an injury, or see a new city — it’s to keep us staring at the screen for as long as possible, regardless of the content. This episode’s guest, AI expert Guillaume Chaslot, helped write YouTube’s recommendation engine and explains how those priorities spin up outrage, conspiracy theories and extremism. After leaving YouTube, Guillaume’s mission became shedding light on those hidden patterns on his website, AlgoTransparency.org, which tracks and publicizes YouTube recommendations for controversial content channels. Through his work, he encourages YouTube to take responsibility for the videos it promotes and aims to give viewers more control.