The real AI threat is algorithms that 'enrage to engage'

"Media personalities and online influencers who sow social division for a living, blame the rise of assassination culture on Antifa and MAGA. Meanwhile, tech CEOs gin up fears of an AI apocalypse. But they're both smokescreens hiding a bigger problem. Algorithms decide what we see, and in trying to win their approval, we're changing how we behave. Increasingly, that behavior is violent. The radicalization of young men on social networks isn't new."

"Before Facebook and Twitter (X) switched from displaying the latest post from one of your friends at the top of your feed with crazy, outrageous posts from people you don't know, Al Qaeda operatives were quietly recruiting isolated and disillusioned young men to join the Caliphate one by one. But the days of man-to-man proselytizing have long since been replaced by opaque algorithms that display whatever content gets the most likes, comments, and shares. Enrage to engage is a business model."

"The algorithms don't just amplify-they also decide who sees what, creating parallel worlds that make it harder for us to understand our opposing tribe members. For example, Facebook's News Feed algorithm prioritizes posts that generate emotional reactions. YouTube's recommendation system steers viewers toward similar content that keeps them watching. And it's a total mystery how TikTok 's For You Page keeps users glued to the app."

Algorithms that prioritize likes, comments, and shares amplify the most outrageous and emotional content, incentivizing creators to produce enraging material. Influencers and powerful figures cultivate fear narratives, but algorithmic amplification is the primary driver that normalizes extreme views and violent behavior. Recommendation and ranking systems create personalized feeds that harden public sentiment and legitimize violence by making outrage feel like participation. These systems also produce parallel information environments, reducing mutual understanding across social groups and accelerating radicalization among susceptible users, particularly young men on social networks.

Read at Fast Company