Want to book a centre seat, 6 rows back at a concert hall? Sorry not yet, we’re selling off the rubbish seats on the side at the back first.
Want to pull your fighter jet into a 10g climb? Computer says no, that would exceed predetermined stress levels.
Want to Google the lyrics, “The rhythm of life is a powerful beat” to find the source? Can do but Google will decide what it thinks you REALLY want to know. Google runs on a shipping container (or ten) full of algorithms.
Algorithms are at work.
And as per the “Sweet Charity” song lyrics, “The algorithm of life is a powerful beat”.
Want to use your frequent flyer points to make a tourist flight around Australia 9 months from now? No way Jose the allocation of frequent flyer seats is determined by an algorithm that does not match your needs.
Algorithms are clever little pieces of calculation code, essentially IF/THEN equations and they are everywhere in our digital world. And they are held in seemingly impenetrable black boxes. Scream as loudly as you like at your keyboard you will still not be able to get a better seat than ZZ 65 at the concert. The algorithm is keeping the better seats to release later – “IF the crap seats are all sold THEN release some better ones”.
So if you are worried about the day AI (Artificial Intelligence) will outsmart you then worry no more, we are all living in a sort of trainer AI mode already with algorithms everywhere you look already outsmarting you.
