Why Are People Starting to Sound Like ChatGPT? | Adam Aleksic | TED

Overview

Etymologist Adam Aleksic explores how algorithms and AI are reshaping our perception of reality, language, and culture. He delves into the subtle yet profound ways platforms like ChatGPT, Spotify, and TikTok influence our thoughts, behaviors, and societal trends, often prioritizing profit over authenticity. Aleksic urges us to critically question the content we consume and the systems that shape it.

Notable Quotes

- If you're talking more like ChatGPT, you're probably thinking more like ChatGPT as well. – Adam Aleksic, on how AI influences human thought.

- These aren't neutral tools. Everything that ends up in your social media feed or chatbot responses is filtered through what's good for the platform, what makes money, and what conforms to their idea of who you are. – Adam Aleksic, on the biases of algorithms.

- Why am I seeing this? Why am I saying this? Why am I thinking this? If you don’t ask yourself these questions, their version of reality is going to become your version of reality. – Adam Aleksic, on resisting algorithmic influence.

🧠 The Perception Gap and Algorithmic Bias

- Social media algorithms amplify extreme content, creating a distorted view of reality and widening the perception gap in political and social beliefs.

- Controversial content tends to go viral, reinforcing extreme perspectives and making them appear more representative of reality than they are.

- Algorithms are not neutral; they are designed to maximize engagement and profit, often at the expense of an accurate representation of reality.

🤖 AI's Influence on Language

- AI tools like ChatGPT subtly shape human language. For example, the word delve has become more common in spoken language due to its overrepresentation in ChatGPT's training data.

- This creates a feedback loop where AI influences human language, which in turn influences AI training data, further distorting linguistic norms.

- Language models reflect the biases of their training data, as seen with ChatGPT's more conservative tone in Farsi, shaped by the political climate of the region.

🎵 Algorithms and Cultural Trends

- Platforms like Spotify and TikTok artificially amplify cultural trends, turning data clusters into mainstream phenomena. For instance, Spotify's hyperpop playlist gave rise to a genre that previously lacked a clear identity.

- These platforms prioritize trends that are visually or sonically engaging, often misrepresenting reality to maximize user engagement and profit.

⚠️ The Danger of Blurred Realities

- The interplay between AI, algorithms, and human behavior creates a cycle where artificial representations of reality influence real-world perceptions and actions.

- This distortion affects not just language and culture but also our understanding of what is possible in the world.

- Aleksic warns that ignoring these influences risks allowing platforms to dictate our thoughts, behaviors, and identities.

🛠️ Fighting Algorithmic Influence

- Aleksic emphasizes the importance of critical thinking: questioning why we see, say, or think certain things and recognizing the profit-driven motives behind platforms.

- By staying aware of these influences, individuals can resist the subtle shaping of their reality by algorithms and AI.