In 2016, I began a journalism fellowship that aimed to research the implications of artificial intelligence upon the future of democracy. When I introduced the project during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. that May, I had originally intended to explore the political repercussions of A.I.'s impact on the future of work. But as I dove further into my research amidst the U.S. presidential campaign season, what has since been coined "fake news" came into common usage, having everything to do with our current politically charged social media environment that I, as a member of the media, bear at least some responsibility in perpetuating. The following is a foreword to what amounts to an effort to find some sanity and a way forward.
If you liked this post, please consider sharing, commenting, and upvoting. Thank you in advance. - Josh
Est. Reading Time: 1:43 min
Image Credit: SplitShire | Source: Pexels | License: CCO
Integrating your epiphanies into your every day experience is a challenge of long research projects. How do you bring your loved ones up to speed in a way that makes sense? How do you apply what you've learned in a meaningful way? Does any of it even matter?
There are a multitude of ways to tell a single story. And how a story is told is as important as the substance its the content. If I publish it as a video, a podcast, a book, a long essay, or a series of essays, each of these forms will influence the opinion of its observer. As media theorist Marshall McLuhan once said, "The medium is the message."
In writing about the Internet and the intersection of technology and politics, these ideas are ever evolving. Five years ago, artificial intelligence impacting politics seemed like fantasy. But here we are, considering the influence of bots and algorithms on self-governance.
What I strove to do in my research then was to find consistency. While we live in dynamic, turblent, and exciting times, every writer thinks the same of their own age. And so I am confronted with a paradox: How do I honestly communicate the fluid and the permanent, the sacred and the profane, the immediate and the distant?
It's safe to say that I lost my mind pursuing this project. Our unprecedented planetary hyper-connectivity has had a disorienting effect on national consciousnesses. The 2016 elections disillusioned many towards the technological advancements of recent decades.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies hold new promise. But in creating a new future, we also need a proper historical perspective removed from hysteria and hyperbole. The fears surrounding economic displacement aren't new to artificial intelligence. They are, in fact, the animating energy of modern society. This is what I will show in the coming days as I publish the results of my recent efforts.
While my final edit was completed in April, I spent the subsequent months circulating the draft among close friends and mentors to gain additional feedback on the work. The following pieces will also include additional research citations to account for any developments in the field since the final draft was completed.
By dividing my original 10,000 word essay into smaller pieces, I am adjusting to a form appropriate for the chaotic mobile newsfeeds of the social media era. But by publishing my work to a blockchain, I am also tapping into something immutable and transparent.
Publishing my work to the STEEM blockchain first before writing for other media outlets creates a foundation that belongs to me as an author. If the newsfeed is chaos, then the blockchain is order. This work is a bridge between the old and the new.
I am making peace with myself, my past, and my present. And so begins my part in attempting to fix something I feel partially responsible for breaking.
Thank you for reading,
- Josh
(10.22.17)
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- My first Steemit post: Introducing myself, and some initial thoughts
View History
Josh Peterson is a 2016 Robert Novak Journalism Program Fellow and a writer living in Denver, CO. Follow Josh on Steemit and Twitter. Keybase for secure chat. PGP Fingerprint: 4507 3000 1A40 2691 DAB8 ED65 A3EA 3629 73FD B7FF.
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