Cyberman №6 — Politics — psychological insights on current politics, capitalism won, China regulating algorithms and a song by Thom Yorke
Welcome fellow Cyber people.
Every week, this newsletter will bring you a few interesting articles about contemporary human beings, machines, and interactions between them.
It will be curated to bring different perspectives to these subjects, to ask important questions and maybe suggest a few possible answers.
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In this issue, we will explore the world o politics.
Human beings are tribal. We tend to group ourselves into smaller or larger groups and these groups are often the basis of our identity. Humans tend to form opinions based on the input from people or organizations they trust more than on their own contemplation.
We see a large influence of recommendation systems on public opinion, therefore, the Chinese government decided to govern the algorithms towards officially accepted values. It seems that these values are more in accordance with the western world than with the communist past.
The Cognitive Science of Political Thought: Practical Takeaways for Political Discourse
Political and cognitive scientists have largely reached consensus on the fact that the social and political preferences of citizens are often not well informed and are malleable.
“This assumption about voters can exacerbate the perception of political polarization. Policymakers and pundits should take care to avoid being lured into a false sense of knowledge about others’ choices and preferences. It is worth noting that polarization is, to some extent, a matter of perception. If you think others are making their choices based on extreme positions, and if you are wrong, you may also overestimate how much people disagree on important positions.”
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“One way to strengthen a group identity is to help people understand the causal connections between that group and other important aspects that people use to define themselves. Peaceniks should be told how important belonging to the group is to fostering world peace; football fans need to associate their local club with achieving football glory.”
With the US and China, Two Types of Capitalism Are Competing With Each Other
Capitalism’s global victory has been achieved through two different types of capitalist systems: the liberal meritocratic capitalism that has developed incrementally in the West, and the state-led authoritarian capitalism that is exemplified by China. Regardless of who wins, it is unlikely that one of the two will come to rule the entire globe.
“Following the Russian Revolution, capitalism shared the world with communism, which reigned in countries that contained about one-third of the human population. None but capitalism remain today, except in very marginal areas with no influence on global developments.”
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“The fact that (to use Marxist terms) the infrastructure (the economic base) and superstructure (political and judicial institutions) are so well aligned in today’s world not only helps global capitalism maintain its dominion but also makes people’s objectives more compatible and their communication clearer and easier, since they all know what the other side is after. We live in a world where everybody follows the same rules and understands the same language of profit-making.”
China’s internet regulator orders online AI algorithms to promote ‘mainstream values’
Chinese social media platforms, websites, and apps that use algorithms powered by artificial intelligence to recommend or suggest content to their users must ensure the technology steers people towards material that adheres to “mainstream values”, the country’s top internet regulator said.
“The regulations state that information providers on all manner of platforms — from news and social media sites to gaming and e-commerce — should strengthen the management of recommendation lists, trending topics, “hot search” lists and push notifications.”
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“The government’s long list of “encouraged” content includes resources that promote Xi Jinping Thought, party policies and socialist core values, that showcase the country’s economic and social development, and which help to promote Chinese culture and stability.”
For the end of this issue listen to Thom Yorke, performing Dawn Chorus live on Montreux 2019
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