Media gatekeepers are weaker than ever, leaving the public, which is already distrustful of large corporations and institutions, vulnerable to rumor and disinformation. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many Americans relied heavily on traditional media sources. Today, more Americans get their news from their favored social media app, which likely prioritizes content that engages (sensationalizes) rather than educates. And when constituents are whipped up by trending topics and viral posts, lawmakers have less political freedom to craft middle-of-the-road policies. Just as crypto market participants have suffered from the public’s focus on a small number of bad actors, the AI industry will be held politically liable when machine learning produces sub-optimal outcomes, even if machine learning outcomes are more often statistically superior than processes managed by humans.
