Many teachers are confronted with crazy ideas spread by "influencers". The phenomenon is new in its scope and frequency. The influencer spreads a "story" whose reach has less to do with the credibility of its sender than with its popularity status, fostered by the reactions its messages provoke. A skilled influencer quickly learns which buttons to press to make emotional dials move.
Of course, the factor of production quality counts, but when A.I. and virtual beings get involved, the whole dynamic changes. Influence has always existed, but influence amplified in this "objective" way upsets the social balance.
Mc Luhan's famous quote "The medium is the message" is translated today as "The algorithm is the message". It is really the algorithms that determine which messages are prioritized: those that have the greatest impact, rarely the most useful or relevant. Choosing priorities therefore becomes a strategic issue.
Institutions, states and even large corporations have always taken care to train their subjects within a common framework. The control of educational programs is a prerogative of authority. Today, it's possible for political parties and companies to influence education directly, bypassing intermediaries and controls such as schools, parliaments and journalists. Algorithm control is now the key to influence.
Who will train in ethics and philosophy? Who will teach humanity and trust? These are not popular subjects on the networks, they don't make people "react". If A.I. can produce a narrative favorable to the common good and apply strategies to disseminate it, it can also do the opposite. The narrative can be influenced. The school's role in media education is fully justified to restore the balance of influence.
This edition offers a glimpse into the murky world of influencers and the industry that supports them.
Denys Lamontagne - [email protected]
Illustration: ooceey - Pixabay
