Passive Headlines

AI is coming, rapidly and terrifyingly, bringing with it tremendous promise. People often describe the possibilities in apocalyptic or utopian terms. Both outcomes are possible, but the reality is likely somewhere in between. It's easy to think about dystopian scenarios. Sometimes, AI is discussed as if it were a magical solution. Given its capacity to take on a life of its own, I understand the hope and theoretical possibilities. However, it will probably follow the pattern of other technological advancements, leading to a huge concentration of data, wealth, and power. This means a small group of individuals will make decisions with a significant global impact.

It's important to recognize that the programming of much of our technology will continue to reflect societal biases, power imbalances, and social hierarchies. Despite this, I wanted to experiment with using this technology to dissect something truly dystopian: the way our modern society consumes news. The huge conglomerates that tell us what's happening make many decisions that gradually shape society and its viewpoints through subtle and outright manipulation of language and narrative.

I used ChatGPT to experiment with dissecting headlines on a topic dear to my heart for decades. I won’t explain much; I'll simply attach my screenshots. I will say, look at how this ends and notice the "backpedaling-like" behavior that ChatGPT exhibits. I find this consistent with human behavior in hedging bets and being agreeable through non-confrontational, chameleon-like techniques. Scroll through using the arrows on the side.