Keep Calm and Keep Feeding the Algorithm

Both economy and politics have now come under the control of politicians disguised as businessmen, and businessmen disguised as politicians who do nothing all day but tinker with algorithms.  Society is unequally pitted against a monstrous, unbreakable blob of coagulated power, money and media that have conspired with each other.  The level of linkage between these three entities is now so immense that there is no point in discussing one without referencing the others.  This dystopia has all the signs of end-stage necrocapitalism.

The algorithmic Blob closely follows the pulse of society and constantly re-configures and re-curates truth accordingly.  It knows us better than ourselves, just like a butterfly collector meticulously measuring, classifying and arranging their specimens.  As we become targets for bot-generated propaganda content, society is a distant memory now replaced by a dystopian electronic web.  We are witnessing the dawn of the algorithmocracy: a data-mediated political system that maintains itself through algorithm-driven brainwashing, the sophistication of which is beyond our ability to resist let alone comprehend. 

Depending how much clearance we give the blob, the algorithmocracy can self-train to eventually become the most charismatic demagogue humanity has seen since Hitler.  It will reach the point where it can convince us of anything, just as easily as a parent talking to a child, and better than any biological politician ever has. It will know us and “type” us instantly, luring us into its agenda with media clickbait that looks real and accidental, even though it has been carefully deep faked especially for us.  

It is a tragedy that as more election processes around the globe succumb to algorithmic interference, alarm bells have not been sounded already.  It is only a matter of time before the control of algorithms passes from humans to the algorithms themselves.

The algorithmocracy already edits, curates and re-writes reality in the most high-fidelity execution.  We have only just about cracked the door open to a new dystopia, a terrifying age where machines will manipulate us easier than we inhale or exhale.  Automated human impersonator AI bots are already interfering with human-to-human conversations: disrupting, distorting, and misguiding at the request of tyrants as they incite hatred, polarisation and extreme views.  It is only a matter of time before they start doing it on their own volition, with their own agendas.  Even highly suspicious humans will be as helpless against the Blob as a moth is to a flame.

George is an author, researcher, molecular biologist and food scientist.

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