New Worlds, Old Biases: Psychology and AI

New research reveals how AI not only amplifies human biases but also blurs reality, sometimes with dire impacts like affirming delusions or worsening mental health. Insights on heuristics—like the representativeness bias—show how stereotype-based AI decisions have tangible effects, from jobs to justice. Only by keeping humans “in the loop” can we safeguard critical thought, creativity, and ethical outcomes.
https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/new-worlds-old-biases-psychology-and-ai/
By Peter Hughes

Going viral: How ideas, beliefs, and innovations spread in the digital age

A new mathematical model reveals that viral cascades don’t require critical tipping points—while most ideas quickly fade, a select few evolve both in content and intensity as they propagate, fueling highly unpredictable social contagion at scale and challenging conventional wisdom about how information spreads.

https://santafe.edu/news-center/news/going-viral-how-ideas-beliefs-and-innovations-spread-in-the-digital-age

By Laurent Hébert-Dufresne, Juniper Lovato, Giulio Burgio, James P. Gleeson, S. Redner, and P. L. Krapivsky