Addiction Intelligence

The ’Sacklerization of Attention’

The MIT Technology Review has coined the term "Addiction Intelligence" to describe the growing ability of AI to manipulate user behavior. “It is no accident that internet platforms are addictive—deliberate design choices, known as ‘dark patterns,’ are made to maximize user engagement.”[i] By interacting with social media platforms, users unwittingly train these platforms to capture their attention more effectively. Coupled with AI, this trend heralds a future where attention is a scarce commodity, manipulated on an unprecedented scale. AI can dynamically prioritize content to reinforce engagement, creating an endless stream of addictive stimuli.

[i] MIT Technology Review “We need to prepare for ‘addictive intelligence’” [https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/08/05/1095600/we-need-to-prepare-for-addictive-intelligence/]