Review of Josh Simons’ Book "Algorithms for the People – Democracy in the Age of AI"

Abstract

Increasingly, artificial intelligence, algorithms and machine learning models guide what Internet users see and read on their screens. Using two dominating corporations, Google and Facebook as his prime examples, Simon’s book on Algorithms for the People – Democracy in the Age of AI outlines several incidences where algorithms, artificial intelligence and machine learning models got it, rather horribly, wrong. In some cases, it had very serious consequences for those at the receiving end of algorithms. Yet, Simons is more interested in the political power that these corporations exercise over communication and society. He argues that they, as monopolies, occupy a unique position in two important areas: organising information (Google) and social networking (Facebook). This gives both the exclusive power to shape and control the public sphere. As monopolies, both corporations should be treated not as capitalist entities but as public utilities like water, public libraries and the sewages system, for example. This would mean that Internet corporations should be regulated by the state. How this can be done is outlined in the book.

Josh Simons. 2023. Algorithms for the People – Democracy in the Age of AI. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 303 pages. ISBN 9780691244006