Filter fears

Last week, Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League, the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

For those who tuned in at 5am from the other side of the world to watch arguably the worst game of football (not soccer, never soccer) in the history of major finals, the programming turned into an idolisation of Australia’s very own Ange Postecoglou.

While Spurs’ coach has been hailed as a genius in his homeland, those in the UK and Ireland endured a very different viewing experience. There, TV and press coverage focused on the sorry state of affairs at beaten finalists Manchester United, who have a larger fan base in the two nations.

It’s the latest example of how, despite viewing the exact same event, the organisations and platforms through which we consume information influence our experience and perspective.

Google recently announced “AI Mode” to fully embed chatbot capabilities into its search engine, while also dropping new augmented reality glasses with AI tools.

Meanwhile, Sam Altman’s OpenAI has acquired Jony Ive’s design firm, with AI-powered hardware the natural outcome of the megadeal.

The direction and rapidity of such innovation is exciting, but it also puts large organisations in the space between people and the reality in front of them. 

Despite ample examples of brands and politicians using new media to bypass information filters, there is a creeping phenomenon of technology interpreting what we see and adding context that can shape our thoughts and actions in real time. 

Such filters can be beneficial, removing damaging propaganda or providing information that places an event in a broader setting. But filters that are automatic and ubiquitous damage our ability to question and doubt.

Sadly for Big Ange, there’s still plenty of that left for him.