The Self-Driving Car That Only Turns Right
Imagine a self-driving car that gradually pulls to the right—at first, just a little, but over time, it veers dangerously off course.
Passengers don’t notice right away, but soon, the car is heading straight for disaster. The engineers claim, “We’re just following the data,” but in reality, the system was designed to manipulate the car’s direction without people realizing it.
Social media algorithms do the same: They steer users toward radicalization, political extremism, and conspiracy theories—not because people sought them out, but because outrage and division generate the most engagement.
Policy Implication:
A foreign adversary doesn’t need to hack elections if tech companies are already destabilizing democracy for profit. National security measures should address algorithmic manipulation as a threat to democratic stability.
Photo by Itay Peer
