Unseen Strings: How Behavioral Science and AI Are Quietly Shaping Our Choices and Society
Setting the stage:
Let's not kid ourselves—we might be the dominant species on this planet (so far), but that doesn't make us any more advanced than incredibly complex monkeys who have been able to do great things, from exploring the cosmos to harnessing the power of the atom I say it’s pretty outstanding what we’ve been able to accomplish so far.
Despite these (and numerous other) significant advancements, our biology remains the primary factor influencing our behavior. As we deepen our understanding of ourselves, we learn more about our mechanisms, what motivates us, and crucially, how to direct our behavior in specific ways. Our predictable human instincts are being subtly manipulated by companies, governments, and other entities to shape our actions, often without our conscious awareness.
Drawing inspiration from my man B.F. Skinner’s theories of behaviorism, we see how today's digital landscapes are engineered much like Skinner's boxes, where rewards and reinforcements are meticulously planned to shape and modify behavior. Social media platforms, the pinnacle of the engagement economy, are not merely tools for connection but are designed as intricate mazes of psychological triggers. These platforms utilize likes, notifications, and endless scrolls to exploit our inherent vulnerabilities—turning these Skinnerian principles on its head by conditioning us not in a controlled lab, but in the unbounded, wild laboratories of our daily lives. This strategic manipulation aims not just to influence our momentary actions, but to shape our very perceptions, beliefs, and interactions with the world around us.
Behavioral Psychology 101& ½
One of the key figures in figuring out the integral behavior of mammals (us included) was B.F Skinner, this guy was able to crack the basic intricacies of animal behavior under specific stimuli and reward systems and he figured out 3 key findings through his experimentation on animals which latter on were replicated on humans and practically built the foundations of so much of today’s economic landscape.
Operant Conditioning: Skinner's concept of operant conditioning is perhaps his most significant contribution to understanding human behavior. He demonstrated that behaviors can be strengthened or weakened through reinforcement and punishment. In the context of gamification, this principle underscores the effectiveness of rewards (positive reinforcement) in encouraging desired behaviors. By strategically implementing rewards such as points, badges, or levels, gamified systems can motivate users to engage more actively and persistently.
Variable Reinforcement Schedules: Skinner's research highlighted the potency of variable reinforcement schedules in shaping behavior. Unlike fixed reinforcement schedules where rewards are provided consistently after a certain number of responses, variable schedules deliver rewards unpredictably. This unpredictability creates a sense of anticipation and excitement, leading to sustained engagement. In gamification, incorporating elements of randomness or variability in reward delivery can enhance user motivation and prolong engagement levels.
To get a better idea of this please check this nice video:
Shaping Complex Behaviors: Skinner demonstrated that complex behaviors can be broken down into smaller, manageable steps and reinforced incrementally. This process, known as shaping, allows individuals to learn new skills or behaviors gradually. In the context of gamification, this finding suggests that designers can use progressive challenges and rewards to guide users toward mastery. By structuring tasks in a hierarchical manner and providing rewards for each milestone achieved, gamified systems can facilitate skill development and goal attainment.
In summary, Skinner's findings emphasize the power of rewards and reinforcement in shaping human behavior, the importance of variability in maintaining engagement, and the efficacy of shaping complex behaviors through incremental reinforcement. These insights serve as foundational principles for the design and implementation of gamified experiences aimed at motivating and influencing user behavior. Which can be seen everywhere in this era of the Attention Economy.
You get Operant conditioning through social validation when you quantify likes and other “social media points” You upload something you share a piece of news and then that behavior gets rewarded socially by the gratification of external validation. Then we proceed with the Variable reinforcement schedule, since you don’t know how well or poorly your posts and interactions will perform once posted it can be that the algorithm is showcasing your content to your friends in a randomized pattern because it knows that by being slightly inconsistent it will draw you in deeper and deeper. And finally, your behavior is shaped, slowly but surely you increase your usage of said app, you share more with your friends and contacts you doom-scroll 10 minutes more every 6 months, the progress is slow but surely enough by engaging and learning from your behavior the engagement as the one goal becomes the main focus of all apps in the digital economy.
Also, this is not something new, researchers have been talking about this for years to the media about it all… I mean heck there's even an entire Netflix documentary about all of this:
And for those that think that this is a phenomenon exclusive to social media companies let me tell you the field of behavioral economics is one of the most fascinating and interesting fields of study (in my opinion) in the landscape of economics. Behavior-modifying design is a key feature in most of today’s consumer economy.
Companies in all industries are using these principles to try to get you to buy from them. From the architecture to the colors to the positioning and type of typeface every small minute detail of a human interaction in a business can be quantified studied, and distilled to valuable insights. Why do you think the digital economy has devoured everything else on planet Earth practically?
Just as an example From the type of lines that drive-throughs have in fast food restaurants to the type of glass they put their menus on all of these details have been optimized to incentivize impulsive behavior and increase the average order size for each consumer. Also to reduce friction and make everything as seamless as possible. This can all be seen in the following video that analyses drive-throughs and fast food companies and there is some fun/scary stuff like cross-checking weather pattern data, so they might offer you a free donut with coffee on a cold day or recommend a slushie with a discount when it's hot.
Modifying the design or showcasing different products on apps to incentivize consumption with what are called "dark patterns" are all ways that companies "nudge" you towards a specific behavior. And we live in a world that is filled with this, and it has been for years.
AI: The Wildcard
So, what happens when we introduce Large Language Models and other advanced AI systems into the equation? Well, it doesn’t look good if you're even slightly wary of these things because, more likely than not, an increasing number of companies, governments, and organizations will be incorporating these gamified and behavioral tools to guide and incentivize your behavior toward their desired goals.
And don't get me wrong, I think this technology could be used for good. With well-designed incentives, we could build fairer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly societies that guide people toward more satisfying and rewarding lives. But that is not the prevailing force behind these principles today. We have fallen into the trap of the attention economy, where engagement is the ultimate metric for our online interactions, regardless of anything else. This is because keeping eyeballs on screens longer increases the likelihood of tapping into the ads that fund these systems.
So, what happens when some of the most powerful organizations in human history work alongside the most significant invention our species will develop to try and maximize app engagement? We can already see the effects. What we need to be careful about is looking a bit further ahead at what happens when the AI systems embedded in these platforms are just too good for us to say no, or for us to realize our behavior is being modified.
What if we aren't even noticing this change because it is subtle or slow, but very much intended according to someone else's plan? Now, I'm not going to fall into a conspiracy and claim there are lizard people running the AI and they want to dominate us... no, most likely, it's just an overwhelming number of small decisions that have piled up through systematic blind spots and economic incentives to keep companies running and finding the path of least resistance. Also, I'm not claiming that some of these companies are guiltless white doves with pure intentions in their hearts. The reality is a complex gray middle ground where a mixture of ignorance (the main ingredient), apathy, lack of awareness, and let's add a sprinkle of malice to spice things up, have led to the situation we face ourselves.
So far we see how these systems continue to increase in complexity and continue to be used by hundreds of millions worldwide. We are seeing people worshipping AI as religious figures, seeing them as possible partners and lovers, or having an impact on their morals.
While we can attempt to recognize and understand these phenomena, I mean we have seen them happen already, the truly scary aspect emerges when AI tools surpass our capabilities in areas we excel. Imagine AI assistants capable of crafting messages with a charisma unparalleled by humans, indistinguishable from human-created content. What if AI could design the ultimate marketing campaign? In the context of selling hamburgers at a drive-through, this may seem relatively harmless — ignoring health concerns. However, consider the implications of an AI that can create the perfect political campaign, the perfect extremist recruitment video, or the perfect disinformation campaign.
This level of perfection doesn't require universal acceptance or a resounding agreement with its messages. It merely needs to be convincing and covert enough to fulfill its objectives without triggering widespread alarm, prompting legislative actions, or inspiring investigative documentaries. It's so proficient that its influence goes unnoticed, and then the world changes imperceptibly around you and no one says anything.
The Perils of Predictability
A powerful line from a monologue states, "From the Moment I Understood the Weakness of My Flesh, it Disgusted Me." This sentiment resonates deeply with me as I consider the impact of AI influences while reading and researching for this article—arrogantly I thought, "Pff, I could never be manipulated by these systems I’m so aware of it all" but if you saw my usage of Instagram weekly, you’d know being aware of these trends is no protection against its allure. Indeed, we remain complex beings, highly prone to the biological limitations of our brains, despite our denial. But mostly to realize our vulnerability to these small things, the glow of your screen, the color of the notifications It has all been designed after years and years of the brightest minds of the field working for these companies.
The real challenge is: How can we build and design systems to protect us, to warn us, and to reverse or reduce the negative impact of decisions and behaviors like these? It’s an incredibly complex task, and I believe we might never "solve" this issue by just putting in an “Anti-Behavioral Economics Law” or something similar. But maybe, just maybe, we could see a future where we can develop ways to enhance our awareness and our senses to distinguish these manipulations and disengage from dark patterns, reflecting on whether our actions are guided by our desires or someone else's. – Also I highly recommend this book I never took any of its recommendations but it was a great read nonetheless.
It’s not an easy or even feasible task, but I believe talking about these things can make us more aware and provide us with tools to fight back when needed and protect those who might be more susceptible to these influences.