Long Ago and Far Away, I used to write for Wired Magazine. One of the people I worked with has become a well-known software engineer in Silicon Valley. We were both relatively young and realistic when the Internet blossomed, and we were convinced it would be a blessing for freedom and democracy. Finally, information would be free.
To some extent, that dream is true; to another, it often appears social media is chewing up democracy and threatening it severely. Online hatred has become a political and personal weapon, increasingly used to punish disagreement and free thought. My friend and others are now claiming AI software can turn that tide.
Being young and idealistic, we didn’t imagine the greed and indifference of corporations, who allowed their websites to be cesspools of hatred, rage, and bigotry to draw an audience. We didn’t foresee that this anger and rage would grow and threaten our democracy rather than nourish it. Writing in the open on the Internet is now too often asking about social bullfighting.
I’m skeptical of my friend’s idea.
Reading my blog, he’s followed the hatred and cruelty that seem to be blossoming everywhere and on my blog at times, making me a fascinating proposal. He wants me to use new and experimental AI software designed to stop and block hate messages. It works simply, he says. The AI software is fed thousands—even millions—of hate messages and the e-mail, fake or real names of the people who send them.
They do this by collecting and storing the names of people who send cruel, threatening, or vicious messages. They also collect what the messages look like, feel like, and sound like. When the software is fed and activated, it automatically and instantly identifies and trashes or destroys these messages instantly.
I would no longer see them, although they can be stored if I ever wish to read them. He wants me to try this software for up to two weeks and report my experience.
I thought about this for a few hours, but no longer than that.
I thanked him for thinking of me and declined his offer.
As you know, I believe in confronting and sometimes exposing hate mail. I wouldn’t say I like getting it (who does?) but thinking about it, I decided that what the AI software should do is precisely what I am beginning to do and should do myself.
Instead of using software, I would block or destroy these messages on my own and continue with my work rather than surrender them to the software, which is so intrusive and technical that no one, including me, would know how it works, how it gathers all this material, or what it would ultimately do with it.
My arguments with haters (yes, you, Jullie) are well known and often tiring and frustrating to me and the innocent bystanders who must listen in or hear wanton cruelty and hatred.
But I am getting there, and no software will strengthen and empower me more than me. I’m not turning this task over to AI software; I will never be sure I have the strength, skill, or confidence to handle this issue myself if I do that.
Hateful messaging has not prevented me from doing my work, writing what I want, or loving my blog, my life, and the many excellent and non-hating people who read it.
Yes, I know this is how the Nazis started it, but I am not prepared to equate what is happening in America to the Nazis and what happened in Germany. I think that’s going too far for me.
I installed much more moderate software that allows me to delete hateful messages instantly and, with one button, ensure that no one sending such a message will ever get posted again and move their messages straight to the trash.
It’s straightforward. The software identifies names, languages, e-mails, and sources from which they are sent. It does not block, delete, or eliminate people who disagree with me, dislike me, or wish to challenge me on my thoughts. I can delete the haters if I wish, but I don’t. Those are the messages I want: thoughtful, intelligent, and civilized. Those are the messages I am getting now.
This is my work—writing in freedom, exchanging ideas, hopefully getting people to think, and hoping they will return the favor.
My software has blocked hatred 100 percent since I installed it, and I glance at it once or twice a week to ensure innocent and good-meaning people are not being blocked by mistake.
I don’t seek Nirvana. I love having some tension on the blog; it suits my thinking. I hate having hatred on my blog; it obsesses and detracts from me and my ability to think. And I don’t want an invisible screen between me and those who read me, no matter how much some might hate my guts.
There is an Orwellian element to this.
The haters will only know their messages never appear in my blog comments or appear in my e-mail. They do not know; they are banned, blocked, or banished unless I tell them or unless they tire of yelling into the sunset without the satisfaction of knowing they hurt or dig some damage. In my experience, they feel the best solution is quitting and going away. Haters need an audience to hate; silence does for them what sunshine did for Dracula.
But it has worked for me. I don’t miss the hate; I don’t miss the hatred it pulls out of me; I am more accessible than ever to write what I want and share it with people who want to read. Slowly, day by day, my dream is coming true, and if anybody gets credit for it, I do, and my readers do too.
As tempting as it is, I don’t want AI software to do this for me. I want to prove to myself, and yes, the world, that this can be done by ourselves. Hatred flourishes only when it hurts and is listened to. I can’t guarantee this will be a kinder and more compassionate world.
But it’s a good start, better than letting this hatred and cruelty flourish without challenge or the power of decency and honesty. Good luck, Jullie; I can’t honestly say I wish you well, but if you are reading this, know that you are gone and will never be admitted back.
My message to me is good for you, Jon; you are dealing with this in a mature, realistic, and hopefully compelling way. I told my friend I honestly believed I could do it as well as his software could.
Maybe I’m just arrogant; perhaps I’m a visionary. I won’t be a coward.
We’ll see.
