It appears that what you do becomes part of what you are expected to want. It also appears that what you use also tells you what you should want. 

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There are slight differences in the predictive texts based on the location from where you search and with the search engine you use. Apparently Google now provides the search algorithm for Yahoo! Japan, and so the results will be quite similar, Google-Ad-tweaking aside. If a monopoly of search engines arise in the online world, then our view of what we want will become narrowed down to a single algorithm. A lot of my work research involves web surfing. This week, I made a conscious effort to click beyond the first two pages.

I think I may have changed an algorithm, but just for me.

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In the podcasts and videos from this past week's modules, I have listened to people warn us about blindly following math. Logic is not always common sense. A common model is crossing a street against a red light. Think for yourself; when it is safe and when it is unsafe to cross? Would a police officer say the same?

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One of the most mind-opening podcasts comes from CBC's Under the Influence, a show hosted by Terry O'Reilly. In the podcast "How Marketing Created Rituals", Terry brings to light so many habits we now blindly follow, simply because it was put there in front of us and packaged nicely.

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This past week, with all of the wake up calls of our listening modules buzzing in my ears, I see tasks in my workspace that have gone awry, and by pointing it out, the common sense of my colleagues has been shaken awake, and we have corrected the derailed traditions.

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Is common sense what makes us human and not a robot?

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As a biologist-in-training, I watched a PhD in my lab worry over a mathematical formula to model a Drosophila fly population. With each iteration, the person added another aspect to an expansive calculus equation. I find that the attention to every detail in order to "get it right" was impressive. I have seen a similar concept with printers. There is an "try it randomly" programmed into the algorithm so that the print machine would be able to calculate the optimal (meaning minimal) number of cuts to a single sheet of paper to form the maximum number of pages and cards while reducing the surface area of scrap paper.

 

This attention to detail, the common sense factor, the ability to randomize, can be done with artificial intelligence. We just need to keep our wits about us.

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The most popular place for this as a game has been on my Facebook mommy groups. The LOL and other messaged laughter comes from the fact that the readers find the answers funny, and that may be because the predictions are off from our common sense. We need to point this out to our students - that this funny business can become a serious problem if left unchecked. Perhaps a task in which the students try out the predictive text and then discuss where it misleads would be a great way to address this issue. Thank you for doing so with us!

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My idea of technology includes programming with common sense.

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