the algorithm is making us stupid

Influx Insights — 2008-06-10T00:46:32Z

Nick Carr rants in The Atlantic about Google because he fears it's making us all stoopid.

"I’m haunted by that scene in 2001. What makes it so poignant, and so weird, is the computer’s emotional response to the disassembly of its mind: its despair as one circuit after another goes dark, its childlike pleading with the astronaut—“I can feel it. I can feel it. I’m afraid”—and its final reversion to what can only be called a state of innocence. HAL’s outpouring of feeling contrasts with the emotionlessness that characterizes the human figures in the film, who go about their business with an almost robotic efficiency. Their thoughts and actions feel scripted, as if they’re following the steps of an algorithm. In the world of 2001, people have become so machinelike that the most human character turns out to be a machine. That’s the essence of Kubrick’s dark prophecy: as we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence."

Skimming has become the norm. Attention spans are in decline, but it's likely there's no turning back from this. In the end, real analytical thinkers will be prized and those who have the foresight to spend time to work out arguments and spend deep time thinking about issues. Great ideas and thought will still be needed and it will have to come from somewhere, there just might be fewer people doing it.

I am encouraged by the desire for live and virtual debate and discussion. I believe this is the area where analysis and thought is happening, not in the act of search. Conferences like TED and PopTech have never been busier or more widely distributed.

In the past 18 months, I've been astonished by the number of people who've told me they never heard of TED, but were inspired by the 15 minute films.

Thinking is still valued, it's just how it manifests itself that's changed. Ideally, it should be neatly packaged and collapsed into a nice televisual format that's snackable.

Posted by Ed Cotton

influx quote of the day- robert stephens- geek squad

Influx Insights — 2007-12-14T19:11:36Z

"Advertising is a tax you pay for unremarkable thinking."

Robert Stephens, founder of GeekSquad

Via Social Customer Manifesto

Posted by Ed Cotton

influx-quote of the day

Influx Insights — 2007-10-08T23:33:38Z

"The time between observation and conclusion, between description and prediction, however, has shrunk to almost zero. There are no more lapses between news, analysis, background story, industry trend story, and intellectual dissection; they have become one and the same, at the same time."

Tim Leberecht- CNET

Posted by Ed Cotton

Influx Insights Tag Feed: thinking

the algorithm is making us stupid

influx quote of the day- robert stephens- geek squad

influx-quote of the day