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But not all global events. Only the events that the algorithms have found capture attention. For example, the “winner” in this contest is the conflict in Gaza. I travel all over the world, and in the past year more than half the graffiti in the world is based on this conflict, as is much of the political discussion online. The Ukraine conflict is high on the list as well, partly because both sides in the conflict churn out massive amounts of online articles about it.
So, while the algorithms have gotten everybody obsessing over these two conflicts, most don’t hear a word about the even larger conflicts and crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Myanmar, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Burkina Faso. Major newspapers are covering these events daily, but most people never hear about them.
Because the algorithms prioritize engagement, not credibility, people are exposed to extreme and polarizing content, including disinformation, false information and made-up AI slop. Algorithm personalization has created “filter bubbles” and “echo chambers” where people form completely different understandings about the world.
