Understanding the algorithms that run the world and what an AI-driven future looks like -Self-taught Novice Podcast #S02E02

Published: Oct. 7, 2019, 8:14 a.m.

We’ll be taking a look at how algorithms run our world and how we can maximize their usage for business purposes. Algorithms are basically systems that process data in a particular way- somewhat like a framework - it takes information and processes it. The dictionary defines an algorithm as a process or a set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations especially by a computer. Technically algorithms are steps or problem solution sets taken by a processor to give a solution that would not have been gotten without following those steps. Algorithms deals with methods of getting solutions. In recent times there seems to be little distinction between Algorithms, AI and Machine Learning due to all the technological advancements. Machine Learning is a way of AI that feeds neural networks with information. Algorithms are part of Machine Learning, however, with Machine Learning the steps are not static, they change often. There are many real-world uses of algorithms. Different social media platforms use different algorithms. WhatsApp for instance uses an algorithm for ranking chats and statuses based on which ones are the most recent. It also uses algorithm to count the number of people who have viewed your status and saves their names in the viewed list. Facebook makes use of Geotagging to find nearby Friend connections. New posts appear on the home page and when it pops up as a subject of discussion but then a whole lot more goes into it. For Instagram, the feed on the homepage is gotten from the people you follow and those you subscribe to. The algorithm structures feed is in reverse chronological order, unlike that for WhatsApp. Home page is filled with feed you and/ or your friends have shown interest in. For example, when you tap on a picture more related pictures pop up. The longer you stay on a page with a certain unique content, the algorithm brings up mare and more related content to your feed to keep you on the platform. The main goal for all these social media sites is to reduce the bounce rate – a lower bounce rate corresponds to users spending more time on the platform. darteymedia.com, for example has links to related podcasts and articles on the same page to keep the user on the page. With this addiction may become an issue as there is continually an influx of content keeping you glued to the platform.  As Post Malone said, “too much pain is pleasure”, too much of everything is bad and as a user you must be aware of all these things and try as much as possible not to fall prey to it. Looking on to the future, Algorithms are sure to evolve. As mobile devices advance and get smarter, so do the algorithms that run on them. They may end up becoming as autonomous as AI. To curb this, legislation is being put in place to limit the autonomous nature of algorithms. Algorithms are powerful tools. We must the most of modern upcoming technologies in addition to normal studies. You cannot be a pacesetter if you do not pay attention to R&D. If you want to make your presence felt in the digital space, you need to study and exploit human behavior and algorithms – know the right times to post content. A couple of things to note on digital marketing: use a lot of hashtags and know and understand the platform you are working with. Hashtags identify you with a unique group of persons and links you to other people’s content, this improves your ranking in searches. You must also understand the demographics of the various platforms. For example; Facebook is mostly for millennials and baby boomers, Instagram and Pinterest is mainly for pictures, Twitter, for the young working class, Snapchat is inclined towards teenagers and young people seeking to keep things private. Now to AI, AI is fundamentally man-made intelligence, be it software or not. Humans are infinitely intelligent and the aim of AI is to get machines to think as fast as humans.