718: How Leaders Can Use the Algorithms for Good, with Sandra Matz

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Feb 3, 2025

Sandra Matz, a Columbia Business School professor and expert in psychological targeting, shares her insights on the power of algorithms in leadership. She discusses how psychological targeting can identify traits like personality and income while urging leaders to use this knowledge for good. Matz highlights the importance of ethical data practices, transparency, and innovative approaches to protect privacy. She also explores the role of AI in early mental health interventions, showing how technology can improve lives when used responsibly.

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ANECDOTE

Village Life Analogy

Sandra Matz grew up in a small German village where everyone knew each other's business.
This had both positive and negative aspects, similar to psychological targeting.

INSIGHT

Double-Edged Sword

Psychological targeting, like small-town gossip, has potential for both good and bad.
Understanding the "game" allows individuals and organizations to use it to their advantage.

INSIGHT

Language and Income

Online language reveals socioeconomic status, often unintentionally.
High-income individuals discuss future plans, while low-income individuals focus on present needs.

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Sandra Matz: Mindmasters

Sandra Matz is a Columbia Business School professor, computational social scientist, and pioneering expert in psychological targeting. Her research uncovers the hidden relationships between our digital lives and our psychology with the goal of helping businesses and individuals make better decisions. She is the author of Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior*.

Algorithms are becoming more influential with each passing day. That’s why leaders must understand their power and then decide how their organizations engage. In this conversation, Sandra and I discuss where psychological targeting is at, where it’s going, and the opportunity you have to make the world a bit better.

Key Points

Everyone knows everything in a small town (for better or worse). In the same way, psychological targeting can be used for both evil and good.
Psychological targeting already is successful at identifying wealth, personality, income level, and sexual orientation – and keeps improving.
None of this is going away. Understanding how the game of targeting is played can help you make it work to your advantage.
Leaders and organizations who use targeting responsibly can do tremendous good, including helping people save money and flag early interventions for health crises.
Be transparent with what data you’re collecting and how you’re using it. Consider newer practices like federated learning that protect privacy and provide permission-based access.
Design systems and practices that anticipate the reality of future leaders with different values.

Resources Mentioned

Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior by Sandra Matz

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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