AI era is coming, and it will involve a completely different relationship between technology and human decision-making. Researchers at Cambridge University say the digital age is on the brink of its ‘intention economy’ characterized by the lucrative yet worrying frontier between the real world and the internet.
What is The Intention Economy?
Human intentions, desires, and plans become commodities that make up the term for the ‘intention economy’ marketplace. AI systems could predict and influence user decisions based on digital intent signals, such as browsing habits, search queries, and communication patterns.
In fact, a related aspect of this concept is expanding the field of large language models (LLMs), which are complex AI systems capable of creating text similar to humans. These tools create personalized and persuasive interactions based on the user’s cadence, preference, and personal values.
How It Works
LLMs and other AI technologies would gather and analyze an individual’s online behavior, including:
- Cadence and Vocabulary: Modify your language to align with your user’s language style.
- Politics and Preferences: Related to personal ideologies and tastes, attaching content.
- Demographics: Complicated by age, gender, and cultural background.
- Flattery and Engagement: To build trust and rapport with psychological cues.
Could data-driven personalization steer people towards a specific action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a service?
Potential for Social Manipulation
Harvard researchers Yaqub Chaudhary and Jonnie Penn wrote a paper in the Harvard Data Science Review warning about the risks of this emerging marketplace. They warned that unregulated AI tools could allow for ‘social manipulation on an industrial scale, with profound impacts on democracy, media and market competition.’
“AI tools are being developed to extract, infer, procure, capture, understand, predict, and ultimately mine and commodify human plans and purposes.”
A Gold Rush for Intentions
Penn likened the intention economy to the economy in a gold rush for entities looking to cash in on human motivations. AI-driven insights could be used by businesses, advertisers, and even political organizations to steer conversations or influence behavior.
Penn warned that without regulations, the intentions economy will see your motivations as the new currency.
It involves some grave questions about transparency, consent, and misuse. Without proper safeguards, the intended economy could undermine the foundations of free and fair elections, destroy the trust vested in the media, and impede the fair operation of markets.
Need for Regulation and Awareness
The researchers advised minimizing these risks with public awareness and regulation in advance. They said everyone should be aware of and learn about the surrounding issues, as we must understand the implications of persuasive AI technologies to protect human autonomy and democratic values.
“In the absence of any attempt to put limits, or at least control, we should begin to think about the likely effect of such a marketplace on human aspirations before we are victims of its unintended consequences.”
What is Next?
AI technologies advance and will always be the middleman between innovation and ethical responsibility. As we move towards the intention economy, policymakers, technologists, and society have to start talking and taking meaningful actions to ensure that the intention economy does not just exploit us but essentially serves us.
The rise of the intention economy underscores a broader challenge: How do you utilize the power of AI while maintaining people’s freedoms and societal integrity? Our actions today will define the digital landscape of tomorrow.
Ethan Cole is a tech aficionado dedicated to exploring the latest innovations and gadgets, providing reviews and insights to keep you updated in the tech world.
