With algorithms reshaping society, Digital India Bill must create capacity for smart intervention
algorithms have the remarkable ability to curate content that keeps you hooked on the platform. Not only do algorithms decide the content shown on social media feeds, they influence consumer choice by controlling suggestions on ecommerce websites, and are even used by governments to process data for the provision of citizen benefits.
In essence, algorithms, which are fundamental instructions governing how specific sets of information are treated, have become potent tools for shaping society.
However, these powerful tools also create complex issues that require careful consideration and regulation. Meta recently made a groundbreaking announcement for its European users, offering them the option to opt out of its recommendation algorithm.
This move signals a potentially pivotal shift in how social media services are offered in Europe. It was necessitated by the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the EU, which mandates algorithmic transparency by digital intermediaries.
Algorithms employed by digital intermediaries are so complex that they are inscrutable to the average person, and sometimes even to regulators.
This creates a stark information asymmetry problem. Moreover, certain algorithms, such as those used to train generative AI, are adaptive, offering little control over the models they create, even to their creators.
An example of problems created by such models was highlighted in the recent episode of Microsoft's AI software professing love to a New York Times journalist and attempting to convince him to leave his wife.
