Hi Cory,

I think you're not quite getting what Obama is on about with regards to 'the algorithm'. Their purpose may be advertising revenue, but the effect the have is political polarization because they act as funnels sending people into informational niches where they only see what is in that tiny little niche. If you click on a music reaction video soon all you see are music reaction videos, even if you're now sick of them. Politically the effect is to funnel people into silos where all they see is one extremely narrow viewpoint. This is a problem.

As I see it the solution is to remake 'the algorithm' to act more as a prism than a funnel, by which I mean spreading and widening rather than narrowing. If I click on a reaction video, show me other reaction videos, but also the original music, music by related artists, interviews with the band, documentaries about the musical era they were in, news of the times for context, etc. If I click on Jordan Peterson, don't funnel me to the proud boys, show me videos by people who critique him, other viewpoints about the issues he talks about, the context in which all this is taking place. Rather than funneling into a deep hole, add breadth as well as depth.

This would work for advertising as well. If I search for 'sweaters', show me sweaters, but also show me boots, vacations to the Shetlands, hockey tickets, maritime museums, and if I click on one of those show me things related to those too.

'Algorithms' should help me explore something, not funnel me.