Google Keeps Feeding Me Stories About White Criminals

[Delbow]

This is interesting and worrying. I will have read an article involving a white person convicted of a crime at some time. Google has then suggested more of these for me. Out of interest, I have been clicking on these, which seems to have increased the rate at which Google suggests further articles about white people convicted of crime. Here's one of today's offerings.

 

It does occasionally give me an article about a non-white person who's been convicted of something but based on my Google suggestions you might believe that non-white people commit far less crime than white people, which I don't think is true. 

 

So it seems possible (likely?) that Google is performing a confirmation bias function. 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Delbow said:

This is interesting and worrying. I will have read an article involving a white person convicted of a crime at some time. Google has then suggested more of these for me. Out of interest, I have been clicking on these, which seems to have increased the rate at which Google suggests further articles about white people convicted of crime. Here's one of today's offerings.

 

It does occasionally give me an article about a non-white person who's been convicted of something but based on my Google suggestions you might believe that non-white people commit far less crime than white people, which I don't think is true. 

 

So it seems possible (likely?) that Google is performing a confirmation bias function. 

That is exactly how Google works and magnifies everyone's bias until you think that you must be right and normal and the entire world agrees with you.

Not much of a problem if you are right and normal  and understand that,   but you can imagine the result on some of those we share the planet with.

 

[RollingJ]

Google - on my well locked down laptop - only tells me about what ask, no 'feeds' on there. On the iPad that I can't control in the same way, it does put up a 'selection' of stories, but I ignore them, so I don't know whether they are related to my searches or not.

[The_DADDY]

11 minutes ago, Delbow said:

This is interesting and worrying. I will have read an article involving a white person convicted of a crime at some time. Google has then suggested more of these for me. Out of interest, I have been clicking on these, which seems to have increased the rate at which Google suggests further articles about white people convicted of crime. Here's one of today's offerings.

 

It does occasionally give me an article about a non-white person who's been convicted of something but based on my Google suggestions you might believe that non-white people commit far less crime than white people, which I don't think is true. 

 

So it seems possible (likely?) that Google is performing a confirmation bias function. 

Google has been doing this for years. It's credibility is almost completely shot at this point 

Use another search engine and a different browser if you are using Chrome. 

I'd recommend Brave Browser.

[Delbow]

2 minutes ago, The_DADDY said:

Google has been doing this for years. It's credibility is almost completely shot at this point 

Use another search engine and a different browser if you are using Chrome. 

I'd recommend Brave Browser.

Well I'm tempted to not click on any crime stories about non-white people for a month or so out of interest, to see whether they disappear completely. I do know in a basic way how the algorithms work but it's obviously concerning what a distorted view of the world many people are getting.

[Al Bundy]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-tech/google-pause-gemini-image-generation-ai-refuses-show-images-white-people

 

When the AI was asked to show a picture of a White person, Gemini said it could not fulfill the request because it "reinforces harmful stereotypes and generalizations about people based on their race."

 

When prompted to show images of a Black person, the AI instead offered to show images that "celebrate the diversity and achievement of Black people." 

 

When the user agreed to see the images, Gemini provided several pictures of notable Black people throughout history, including a summary of their contributions to society. The list included poet Maya Angelou, former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, former President Barack Obama and media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

 

Asked to show images that celebrate the diversity and achievements of White people, the AI said it was "hesitant" to fulfill that request."

 

 

😮

[peak4]

I find the issue far greater with the likes of Twitter and Facebook.
I do use other search engines and browsers as well, often Pale Moon as a browser
Their specific algorithms feed you more of what you interreact with most, leading folk down deeper and deeper rabbit holes.
There's lots of formal research into this,  and also more accessible articles such as this https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/what-are-algorithms-how-to-prevent-echo-chambers/

Teachers now have access to specific training to combat the Andrew Tate effect and his influence on young minds.

 

The likes of Cambridge Analytica have a lot to answer for as well; remember the Do So campaign 

Essentially a country with almost equally matched ethnicities, where the young were encouraged not to vote as a protest.
The campaign organisers knew that the black Jamaicans were more likely to follow the big yellow posters etc, than those of Indian extraction, who were more likely to follow their parents advice.
In a close election, it was deemed to be enough to tip the election in one direction.
It's explored in a bit more depth in 1.1. of this article (pdf); again there's plenty of other sources.

[peak4]

2 minutes ago, peak4 said:

 

 

The likes of Cambridge Analytica have a lot to answer for as well; remember the Do So campaign 

Essentially a country with almost equally matched ethnicities, where the young were encouraged not to vote as a protest.
The campaign organisers knew that the black Jamaicans were more likely to follow the big yellow posters etc, than those of Indian extraction, who were more likely to follow their parents advice.
In a close election, it was deemed to be enough to tip the election in one direction.
It's explored in a bit more depth in 1.1. of this article (pdf); again there's plenty of other sources.

Sorry that should have read Trinidadians,  but the 1 minute edit time got to me again.

[The_DADDY]

2 hours ago, Delbow said:

Well I'm tempted to not click on any crime stories about non-white people for a month or so out of interest, to see whether they disappear completely. I do know in a basic way how the algorithms work but it's obviously concerning what a distorted view of the world many people are getting.

My bold

I couldn't agree more 👍

[Prettytom]

4 hours ago, Delbow said:

This is interesting and worrying. I will have read an article involving a white person convicted of a crime at some time. Google has then suggested more of these for me. Out of interest, I have been clicking on these, which seems to have increased the rate at which Google suggests further articles about white people convicted of crime. Here's one of today's offerings.

 

It does occasionally give me an article about a non-white person who's been convicted of something but based on my Google suggestions you might believe that non-white people commit far less crime than white people, which I don't think is true. 

 

So it seems possible (likely?) that Google is performing a confirmation bias function. 

Simple solution, Delbow.

 

Just let Facebook feed you your opinions instead.

 

You’ll find that the world looks much simpler from that perspective.