Over the course of the last two weeks, I have been particularly intrigued by our conversations revolving around the attention economy, the idea of digital connectivity leading to a “friction-less” life, and the importance of downtime and intentional solitude. Our discussions, thus far, have made me reckon with how much of my daily life is shaped by platforms that are explicitly designed to monetize my attention - TikTok, Instagram, etc. We often have no idea how much time is sucked into social media which both makes our anxiety worse, and gives companies more data about us to feed their algorithm to ultimately worsen our mental health as a result. The endless time I spend scrolling and watching is the product of careful design choices that have been meant to keep me engaged for as long as possible. In the Zone of Intention exercise, I noticed how almost difficult it was to stay away from my phone. I noticed how I reached out for it whenever I was bored, uncomfortable, or procrastinating. Mainly, I noticed how I reached for it in moments of needing social connection. Therefore, I found it interesting how we harkened back to the idea of solitude and that being connected digitally has removed the ability for us to be content with being alone, in our own thoughts.
In our last class, the conversation about chatbots and artificial intimacy made this feel even more personal. I noticed how a majority of chatbots are designed to validate or stimulate a sort of emotional care. I’d like to further explore the implications that the technology - in terms of how AI models are coded using neural networks - has on the ability to predict user messages. This made me think especially about overthinkers, and honestly myself too. If a chatbot is constantly validating thoughts and feelings, even when they’re irrational and unhealthy, it seems to simply reinforce the mental spiral. Regarding AI therapy, on one hand, it seems amazing that people could have 24/7 access to some form of support. On the other hand, it feels risky. I keep wondering what kinds of people we’re creating if emotional support becomes something you get from a machine that never pushes back, never gets tired, and never has its own needs.
I was also interested in the idea of data and consent. Although we “agree” to the terms and conditions of all the apps we use, often we do not actually know how much data is being collected, how detailed it is, how it is being used to shape what we see and ultimately how we act. Is it truly dishonest to call this real consent? But still, we still keep using these platforms - which makes me feel complicit in my own surveillance. I am truly excited to keep exploring the ethical dilemmas technology and the world of AI will have on society as we move forward.