How artificial intelligence conquered democracy

[applegrove]

Vyacheslav W Polonski at the Independant

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/artificial-intelligence-democracy-elections-trump-brexit-clinton-a7883911.html

"SNIP............

Machine-learning systems are based on statistical techniques that can automatically identify patterns in data. These systems can already predict which US congressional bills will pass by making algorithmic assessments of the text of the bill as well as other variables such as how many sponsors it has and even the time of year it is being presented to congress.

.......

This of course raises ethical questions. There is evidence, for example, to suggest that AI-powered technologies were used to manipulate citizens in Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Some even claim these tools were decisive in the outcome of the vote.

......

Artificial intelligence can be used to manipulate individual voters. During the 2016 US presidential election, the data science firm Cambridge Analytica rolled out an extensive advertising campaign to target persuadable voters based on their individual psychology.

This highly sophisticated micro-targeting operation relied on big data and machine learning to influence people’s emotions. Different voters received different messages based on predictions about their susceptibility to different arguments. The paranoid received ads with messages based around fear. People with a conservative predisposition received ads with arguments based on tradition and community.

...........SNIP"

[Loki Liesmith]

1. There is no evidence Cambridge Analytica works

At all.

This is my field, their algorithms are nothing special.

[Madam45for2923]

2. It can be used to target people's buttons with fake information.

[Loki Liesmith]

4. But there's no evidence they are better at it

Than random chance.

If they were they would be making TONS of money doing marketing for corporate America. They are not a big player in that field.

As I've noted I work in this field. Everyone has an algorithm and they all work about half the time if you're lucky. No reason to think CA has anything better. Basically they just got really lucky because their candidate won. But they've yet to parlay it into anything impressive on the data analytics side.

[applegrove]

3. Just the fact they can make their candidate appeal to different people for different reasons

is a big thing. Dyslexic candidates, like Churchill, Woodrow Wilson, Kennedy, Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, both Bushes, Al Gore, Eleanor Roosevelt and Trump, appeal to different people for different reasons by being vague. People then project onto them. If Cambridge Analytics Works can do it without a dyslexic that changes everything. If they can do it.

[johnsonsnap]

5. And if Zuck runs in 2020 or 2024...

it's just going to get worse! He has an amazing amount of data and server capacity.


Just last month, it suggested someone as a friend that I had only met once over twenty years ago on the other side of the country. We have no connections or common friends. I worked with him for a week as a contractor on a construction project. Just a week.

[applegrove]

7. Yes. He would have an advantage though I don't think he would be able

to block others from using algorithms on facebook. That would just be bad form and hurt his Facebook brand.

[UTUSN]

6. K r