What Big Data and Algos should be doing

Just one Epic Idea on Creating Wealth Beyond Ad-revenue

There are a lot of things we can do with Big Data and AI… I find that the current ideas talked about most dont even scratch the surface.

I think one huge idea that can turn into a brand new industry and marketplace is… the Self.

We all know that social media is basically stockpiling all of our data. So much so that Facebook knows more about us than our Spouse.

And yet we not only dont have ownership over that data… but also have no real way of actually making use of that data for ourselves.

Instead, Facebook, Google, and most other social media/tech companies just use it sell us stuff. Its all food for the Ad Tyrant

But our data can and should be used for SO MUCH MORE!!!

• Create algorithms that help us simply find good content and interesting people online. Not sell us things, but show us content that goes beyond our little echo chambers.
• Create bots that help us take action. There is enough data to know what triggers us to go do something. There could be bots that thus prompt us to go create something or meet someone or just experience something new.
• Create interfaces that help us be more self aware. Graphs, metrics, and analytics that visualize our traits or initiatives or even comfort zones we want to know more about.

Just these three alone could dramatically change our relationship with social media… we will truly come to value and respect this technology, not just view it with the blind praise and unactionable loathing of an addict.

This would actually help people become more empowered and productive members of society. It would create a culture of producers… or rather prosumers, rather than pure consumers.

Sure people use social media to become influencers. They blog, vlog, and create content. But such creators are still the exception.

The whole market and business model for social media and content platforms are so monopolized by Ad Tyranny that they are all in a race to the bottom.

Sure, Facebook and Youtube may be reaching more people than ever… but just about everyone that knows anything will tell you how terrible the platforms are (becoming). Every creator will decry the focus on monetizing the wrong things and thus incentivizing people to create bad/uninspired content (clickbait, fake news, sensationalist, listicles, etc).

We all know that this is not the best way or even a respectable way of building empires. We all know that this will not create the future we want for ourselves. A future where our ‘private’ data is no longer private… just someone else’s property and business model.

Its disgusting and we know it.

We need to create, or at least experiment with, other economic models. We need truly ethical principles that seek to empower the people. Im willing to bet my own future on the idea that the current environment of Ad-revenue is not even the most profitable.

We know that people who feel happy and feel empowered are more productive. And productive people contribute more to the economy. They both produce more and consume more.

An economy where people actually can make a good living is one where they actually can afford to buy things instead of never being able to afford even ‘reasonable prices’.

Why not actually try to create a cycle of production, rather than of consumption?

Why not actually try to create a cycle of users that go on to create than can provide you more tools or simply purchase premium services?

Why not create a gold rush and be the one that supplies the tools for others to find their riches?

As of now… there’s a gold rush but people strike gold almost despite the platforms they have at hand. Instead of continuing that rush… these platforms turn around and restrict the next generation from participating. Thus, the platforms shoot themselves in the leg.

They focus on the sprint instead of the marathon.

Its time we use all of this data and algorithms to create an epic time of widespread wealth creation.