Understanding Incentives Behind Technology's Impact on Society

The essential question regarding technology's integration into society is not whether its benefits outweigh its risks, but whether those risks can destabilize societal foundations, rendering the benefits moot. Reflecting on the swift deployment of social media from 2008 onwards highlights the importance of identifying the incentives behind technology. Social media's primary incentive is to elicit strong reactions, fostering profitability through engagement-driven models that ultimately promote outrage and divisiveness. This understanding illuminates the potential risks posed by emerging technologies like AI, which could similarly capture and manipulate societal structures. Recognizing the motivations guiding these technologies—rather than relying solely on the creators' good intentions—is crucial in determining their societal impact, paralleling historical comparisons that underline the ramifications of concentrated power in technology development.