Warnings!!

I T E this at the end of October 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be Topic A in many discussions.So too are recommendation algorithms in social media.Misinformation and disinformation rank high across many areas of socioeconomic concerns.We are even seeing misinformation about the Federal response to severe storms interfering with our ability to render aid.Why is it that we are attracted to and respond so readily to alarming information?I have a rather unscientific theory about this.Well, it isn't grounded in solid data, but it is a cartoon model of the way I think of the phenomenon.I think sensitivity to warnings is likely a genetic survival trait for all species, especially those with some level of cognition.I include non-human species in that category.Warning calls are common across many species.Humans have benefited from such warnings by surviving to contribute to the gene pool.Many who ignored warnings did not survive and did not contribute.Thus, when we read, see, or hear warnings, we respond almost automatically."It's a bear!Run!" (Actually, I hear running from a bear is actually bad advice).Social media influencers take advantage of recommendation algorithms that steer users toward perceived interests and the scale at which these systems operate.The same mechanisms that might select advertisements of interest may also steer users toward information, including warnings that appear to be of interest or concern.None of this is a new realization.My longtime friend and colleague, Peter G.