Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily Lives and Inner Realities

In this stimulating technical analysis, software engineer Auerbach (Bitwise) sounds the alarm about the rise of “meganets,” or “autonomous networks” that might take the form of “big data, the cloud, the internet of things, blockchain, augmented reality, or the much-ballyhooed metaverse.” He suggests these meganets possess two fundamental characteristics: they are “semiautonomous systems” that often elude the control of their creators (think Mark Zuckerberg struggling to inhibit vaccine misinformation on Facebook), and they are “feedback driven” (think Amazon suggesting products based on past purchases, strongly influencing future purchases in a way traditional advertising cannot). Case studies illustrate the ways in which well-intentioned data systems can produce unintended outcomes; for example, India’s Aadhaar system distributes identification cards for citizens to access government services, but several deaths have been linked to the database after people not found in it were denied rations or medical care. The author’s proposals for “taming the meganet” are provocative and include changing social media algorithms so users see more content beyond their usual interests and temporarily deranking popular posts to slow their spread. Auerbach’s elucidation of how meganets have threatened equity and autonomy is perceptive and searing, and the unorthodox recommendations bring novel insights, even if they’re largely focused on social media. This has some refreshing ideas on how to develop a fairer, saner online discourse. (Mar.)