Życie to nie teatr… wszystko to jest jedna gra. Jak algorytmy odbierają nam wolność wyboru

In recent years, more and more attention has been paid in scientific literature to the aspect of computer games and their impact on social communication and interpersonal bonds. The hypothesis about the alleged harmfulness of digital games and their destructive impact on individuals has been coming back like a boomerang. However, just as many researchers argue that video games – like the Internet – are just a tool and are neither bad nor good in themselves. However, they can be used for bad or good purposes. It is common knowledge that ISIS terrorists use instant messengers in games on the Play Station 4 console. On the other hand, there are also increasingly frequent reports of video games being used, for example, in the fight against dementia or as part of Alzheimer’s therapy.What if we broadened the perspective and assumed that the rules known from computer games are increasingly beginning to influence our real lives? Starting with consumer choices, through ideological and political issues, ending with changes in social processes. Similar assumptions are quite present in pop culture. Suffice it to mention the classic trilogy of films “The Matrix” or even the series “Westworld”.This is a good time to ask whether the use of BigData mechanisms and the data collected throughout this process can actually influence our daily choices.The answer is quite obvious and leaves no doubt: yes – it is possible.Krzysztof Rybiński, author of the book “Algocracy. How and why artificial intelligence changes everything?” in an interview with “Rzeczpospolita”, diagnosed the process of democracy disappearing in favor of algocracy. This term is associated with a form of political and social system where the community is governed by algorithms that decide on every aspect of life, e.g. whether a person gets a loan, an apartment, a job, or gets out of prison.This approach is basically nothing new and is closely related to the concepts proclaimed within the framework of the so-called “hard media determinism” promoted by Marshall McLuhan or Neil Postman. They were the ones who suggested that technologies influence society in an unconditional way. Today, we are simply observing the effects of this with our own eyes.