[Grad2021] [Turnbull Zemi] Recommended Podcast on "Algorithms" (social media)

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Hi,

This is probably the best discussion I've seen on what recommender
algorithms do and how they affect users and communities.  Implicit
discussion of social science models, for example "is 'engagement' an
attitude? if so, how well can behavior like click streams measure it?"

https://podcasts.apple.com/jp/podcast/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-algorithms/id498897343?i=1000569120466

You can find the Lawfare Podcast on most podcast platforms if you
prefer a different one.

**What We Talk About When We Talk About Algorithms**
**The Lawfare Podcast**

Algorithms! We hear a lot about them. They drive social media
platforms and, according to popular understanding, are responsible for
a great deal of what’s wrong about the internet today—and maybe the
downfall of democracy itself. But … what exactly are algorithms? And,
given they’re not going away, what should they be designed to do?

Evelyn Douek and Quinta Jurecic spoke with Jonathan Stray, a senior
scientist at the Berkeley Center for Human-Compatible AI and someone
who has thought a lot about what we mean when we say the word
“algorithm”—and also when we discuss things like “engagement” and
“amplification.” He helped them pin down a more precise understanding
of what those terms mean and why that precision is so important in
crafting good technology policy. They also talked about what role
social media algorithms do and don’t play in stoking political
polarization, and how they might be designed to decrease polarization
instead.

If you’re interested, you can read the Senate testimony by Dean Eckles
on algorithms that Jonathan mentions during the show.We also mentioned
this article by Daniel Kreiss on polarization.Support this show
http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare.