Algorithm Writers

Cohen's article captured my interest this week.  She talked at length about the increasingly precarious nature of digital journalism from a political-economy standpoint. The mechanization of writing articles alarms me. Although computers may gather more data and produce articles, how can they capture tone and sensitivity of audience and use metaphors and analogies and basically capture the "art" and not science of writing? After reading Podolny's article, it was confirmed to me that this was not too far-fetched an idea, it's becoming a reality: 

"These robo-writers don’t just regurgitate data, either; they create human-sounding stories in whatever voice — from staid to sassy — befits the intended audience. Or different audiences. They’re that smart. "

Cohen gets right to the crux of the matter and signifies this reality with respect to power relations from a labour relations standpoint. She cites unpaid labour or the reduced quality of writing and opportunities for journalists to truly investigate among a myriad other impacts of technology shaping the field. What does this ultimately mean to those creative workers and employees when it comes to a capitalist system? Marx talks of labour exploitation and all round product and labour alienation. Where can labourers turn to if not unions? Should the government step in to regulate the industry? What effect will this have on the labour market composed of disparate industries that also face mechanization and automation in general? Have we gone past of the point of no return in society? Meaning, will technology continue to exacerbate the power relations that underpin our current capitalist system of historically entrenched power relations in favour of the employer (owner of the means of production) as opposed to the employee? Will there be resistance or are the labourers simply powerless? I would be curious to know what my colleagues think about this hard to ignore reality.

References

[External to that of the syllabus readings]

Podolny, S. (2015). "If an Algorithm Wrote This, How Would You Even Know?". Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/08/opinion/sunday/if-an-algorithm-wrote-this-how-would-you-even-know.html