The Theory of Anything Episode 17: Shiri's Scissor: Polarization and Politics
Political polarization is dangerously on the rise. People feel uncomfortable speaking out so they seek comfortable echo chambers that reinforce their views, making them even less capable of interacting with alternative opinions.
In this episode Cameo and Bruce talk about the fictional story "Shiri's Scissor" which is about a machine learning algorithm that creates polarization. When the algorithm accidentally escapes into the wild it polarizes the nation and starts to destroy it. The story strikes all too close to reality at times due to the role machine learning played in creating our polarized environment on social media and elsewhere.
But what can we do about this problem? How can it be addressed?
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