There is the part about artificial intelligence algorithms that almost everyone is afraid to say aloud: if it wasn’t for the money behind it all, we’d probably be a lot more accepting all around of the damned things.

The part we hint at and too rarely remember to say, though is that the point of so many of these systems is entangled with capital and capitalism, and specifically the fine art of putting a price on human time and attention.

As the saying goes, if you’re not paying for it then you’re not the customer but rather the product.

Our attention has been metered out and sold and social media didn’t just connect people, it turned that attention into a business of reshaping communication, identity and even humanity in the process.  And now AI is automating that and amplifying its effects.

Rage, engagement, memes, performance and optimization of it all: social media coupled with AI hasn’t just connected people, it has also turned human connection into infrastructure to be mined for value.

Call me all sorts of nasty names like a dutiful minion of the system should, sure, but I have some observations and concerns about how my life under this system has been bundled up for sale. I’ll be exploring this more under the topic Capital & Attention as I continue writing on this blog. Stay tuned.