Meganets

December 15, 2022
Who is in control of our massive social media networks? According to this thought-provoking book, no one. For the many Americans who feel that the past 15 years has been an endless cascade of crises and confusion, Auerbach presents some interesting observations. The author worked as a software engineer at Microsoft and Google, so he provides expertise as well as an understanding of tech companies. The central cause of the chaos is the rise of the titular meganets. The author defines a meganet as a "persistent, evolving, and opaque data network joining humans and computers." Facebook is the best illustrative case, but there are others, and they share the characteristics of unprecedented growth in size and speed. Despite armies of programmers and incredibly complicated algorithms, as well as CEOs and governing boards, control remains elusive. The pace at which information is input, disseminated, and copied defies attempts to impose order. Even if Mark Zuckerberg and others wanted to prevent the spread of disruption, trolling, and disinformation, they are no longer capable of doing so. Determining which information is valid and useful is effectively impossible when every view has not only contrary data, but a slew of opposing opinions. The other side of this is the collection of huge amounts of data on individuals, with sorting and collation done by sophisticated AI technology. Auerbach takes the view that AI is not as reliable and unbiased as many want to believe, and he explores several instances where it has gone frighteningly wrong. Even more, it is a feature and not a glitch that the feedback process promotes extreme views and belligerent rhetoric. Auerbach proposes technical ideas to tame meganets, but they don't sound persuasive. "We search for where the power really lies, when it does not lie anywhere," he says. "Or else it lies everywhere at once, which is no more help." A disturbing examination of how social media technology spun out of control and what it means for the future.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 9, 2023
In this stimulating technical analysis, software engineer Auerbach (Bitwise) sounds the alarm about the rise of “meganets,” or “autonomous networks” that might take the form of “big data, the cloud, the internet of things, blockchain, augmented reality, or the much-ballyhooed metaverse.” He suggests these meganets possess two fundamental characteristics: they are “semiautonomous systems” that often elude the control of their creators (think Mark Zuckerberg struggling to inhibit vaccine misinformation on Facebook), and they are “feedback driven” (think Amazon suggesting products based on past purchases, strongly influencing future purchases in a way traditional advertising cannot). Case studies illustrate the ways in which well-intentioned data systems can produce unintended outcomes; for example, India’s Aadhaar system distributes identification cards for citizens to access government services, but several deaths have been linked to the database after people not found in it were denied rations or medical care. The author’s proposals for “taming the meganet” are provocative and include changing social media algorithms so users see more content beyond their usual interests and temporarily deranking popular posts to slow their spread. Auerbach’s elucidation of how meganets have threatened equity and autonomy is perceptive and searing, and the unorthodox recommendations bring novel insights, even if they’re largely focused on social media. This has some refreshing ideas on how to develop a fairer, saner online discourse.