[netinstructions]

That'd be interesting if I could tell Facebook (or whatever social media) I want to be closer to my family (so it surfaces family posts) or local community (so it surfaces geographically close posts) or that I want to lose weight (so it surfaces motivational/dieting posts) or I am training for a marathon (so it surfaces running/training posts) or I went through a bad breakup recently (so it surfaces pictures of puppies and my single friends living fun bachelor lifestyles), or that I want to learn programming (so it surfaces programming things). Or like a button for "Only show me positive, happy stuff".

I mean, I guess you can achieve all of that with a carefully curated Newsfeed / friends list, but it's different than having the dials for what you want to feel/accomplish (how you want to be psychologically manipulated) and the AI could periodically check in ("Am I making you happier?" or "Do you feel inspired to run more often?") and adjust how the content is being surfaced.

[zxcb1]

I think most people would enjoy that. The problem to solve first though: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal–agent_problem

[Nomentatus]

Isn't he proposing cutting out some of the agent's curating and priorities and substituting his own, actual interests? Sounds like a start.

[zxcb1]

That’s the thing though, right? How do you optimize for two contradictory objectives? The “simple” answer is that you align incentives and avoid the problem by redefining it.

[Nomentatus]

You mean distinct objectives, and the answer is with weights (sliders, usually on the UI.) Align what with what? And how is taking these choices out of the hands of the principle and handing it to the agent avoiding principle-agent?!? But in any case how does this relate to your previous comment?

[otakucode]

The issue is that they see an opportunity... give you that control... or give that control to someone who will pay them more than you can for it.

I've been a bit surprised that none of the news aggregator sites (including HN) realized that in most cases what 'most people' want is not what any individual user wants. And we have the technology for actual personalization of newsfeeds. But then that puts the control in the hand of the user... and I suppose they simply don't see that as alluring.