Resist the Machine

In his book How to Stay Smart in a Smart World, Gerd Gigerenzer poses a scenario.

Imagine a digital assistant who does everything better than you. Whatever you say, it knows better. Whatever you decide, it will correct. When you come up with a plan for next year, it will have a superior one.

At some point, he says, you will probably cede control of your life to this digital assistant. You will let it manage your finances, write your messages, and even order products you didn’t know you needed. You would be happy about all of this because it would save you time and relieve you of work you no longer need to do.

But where would you draw the line? Would you let it vote for you? Would you let it pick your spouse? Without setting boundaries, tech companies could take over your life, with digital assistants doing everything better than you.

We’re not living within this scenario right now, but your life is increasingly being changed, and in some ways improved, by two kinds of digital assistants: AI and algorithms. AI gives us answers, automates our homes, and increasingly generates a lot of the content we read. Experts say that a majority of the content we read online is written with the help of AI.

AI has also improved dramatically. While early AI-generated writing was clunky and subpar, it’s now surprisingly competent. But there’s a tradeoff. Human-generated content can be inconsistent. It’s sometimes brilliant, sometimes mediocre. AI-generated content is more consistent, but it rarely rises above mediocrity. It’s polished, but it lacks soul. Over-reliance on AI also comes with the risk of creative stagnation, where originality and depth are replaced by formulaic efficiency, and our writing abilities began to atrophy.

Algorithms, the second technology shaping us, determine what we see. Social media platforms and shopping sites sift through billions of options to present the few they think we’ll engage with. When they work well, algorithms help us manage the overwhelming flood of content by tailoring it to our interests. But they also come with significant downsides. Algorithms are biased, creating echo chambers that amplify our existing views and increase polarization. They don’t just reflect our preferences; they shape them, often without us realizing it.

Without careful consideration, we risk falling into the scenario Gigerenzer warns about, where machines create and control the content we see. It will feel convenient, even helpful, but at what cost?

I'm not saying we should completely reject AI and algorithms. That's not realistic or necessary. Instead, we need to take deliberate steps to reclaim control. Prioritize human-generated content that you choose, not what algorithms select for you. Read real writers. Don’t rely on social media to dictate your reading list. Use tools like Feedly or Feedbin to subscribe to blogs and newsletters that align with your values. Follow curators like Tim Challies or my weekly curated links to discover thoughtful, meaningful writing.

Digital assistants have their place, but I’m not ready to let them both create and curate the content I consume. Stop the slop. Choose humans over machines. Resist the algorithm. We'll all be better for it.