tom willerer . com

The future of hidden gems

Can algorithms ever know us better than we know ourselves?  That is a question without an answer right now, but it’s being debated all around.

I certainly don’t have an answer, but I do have another related question:

Will hidden gems or rare finds still feel rare or like gems if algorithms take all the EFFORT out of finding them?

My hunch is that part of what makes a hidden gem or rare find so special is the effort that went into finding it in the first place, and as algorithms get better and better at predicting what we will like, the idea is that we will be able to find hidden gems without much effort at all.

So in our effort to make algorithms better and better at predicting and recommending unique and unknown (at least to the person receiving the recommendation) movies, music, books, blogs, etc. we may be cheapening (ruining) the hidden gem.

Enjoy ‘em while you can.

• The Human Algorithm
• The Napoleon Dynamite Problem Stymies Netflix Prize Competitors

Notes