Back in high school days, the logarithms I knew were the log tables for solving head-scratching mathematical questions but algorithms? I had never heard about. Algorithm is not just a new addition to everyday vocabulary, but has become a buzzword in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
Today, AI algorithms choreograph the mundane rhythm of everyday life. They curate the content you watch, the music you listen to, and the products you buy. While you think you are making independent choices, it is actually an invisible hand subtly influencing your every decision.
The moment you show a passing interest in something online, the watchful eyes of ‘Google Baba’ pick up the hint. Within seconds, AI algorithms take over. An advertising algorithm behaves like a pushy salesman. You just have to show a fleeting interest in a ‘white handbag’ or idly glance at ‘pink nail paint’, and this digital seller follows you everywhere on the internet – dangling the same or a similar white purse and displaying nail paint in all shades of pink. You begin to wonder if it is telepathy. Or is it stalking?
Built on predictability, AI algorithms generate recommendations tailored to your preference. Tell Google what you want and it finds more of it. Pause over a funny reel on Instagram, and your feed gets flooded with humorous content. Listen to one retro song on YouTube, and out pops a customized playlist of old songs. Watch a quick video of a party snack, and three more recipe channels are lined up.
What is truly alarming, however, is how your very thought process is being rewritten. Algorithms don’t explicitly tell you what to think; they do something far subtler. They take note of your prejudices and fortify them by feeding content that validates your biases. The more hateful content that you watch, the more of it you are shown. If you hold a strong opinion, you are promptly shown posts by people who agree with you.
There is a classic Hindi proverb: ‘Savan ke andhe ko sab hara hi hara dikhai deta hai.’ Everything looks green to a person blinded during the rainy season, implying that personal biases inevitably colour reality. On social media, the algorithm is the culprit that taints your opinion, exposing you to the content as per your orientation. Rather than broadening your horizons, the entire AI ecosystem seems to reinforce your echo chambers. The addictive algorithms direct you to sensational and extreme content to keep you scrolling. No wonder, discussions are becoming increasingly partisan and dogmatic.
In school, I avoided complex maths problems requiring cumbersome log tables; today I feel like doing the same with the algorithms that shadow my every click. I want to dodge them so as to have a truly mind open, unprejudiced by algorithms. It is heartening that Australia has proposed to give its citizens the option to turn off powerful social media algorithms; this could give the users some control over what they see in their feeds.
(Published in The Tribune as MIDDLE on October 19, 2026)
