While everyone was talking about 'Fake News', 2016 was being shaped by a more powerful, and potentially dangerous development -- an automated political engagement machine. Using a combination of ad-targeting, behavior tracking, natural language processing, and adaptive engagement scripts, Trump and his allies ushered in a new era in global politics. From the bots of Brexit to massive digital Russian armies, they’ll talk about how AI propaganda disrupted the 2016 election, then host a discussion about how designers, engineers, activists and policymakers can respond to this new reality. Finally, they’ll imagine and scenario plan what kind of near future AI propaganda may create -- like what if public opinion turns into a new form of high-frequency trading? Speakers: Berit Anderson and Brett Horvath are the founders of Scout, which explores the social implications of technology by combining reporting and near-term science fiction.
New York City, NY; NYC