Issue Social trust eroded by engagement optimisation, with AI to follow

Summary

Social trust refers to the expectation that other people and systems in society will behave reliably and respect shared norms. EY argues that technology has sped up its decline in recent years. Social media algorithms tuned to maximise engagement built filter bubbles that deepened polarisation, a problem that is global and measurably worsening across regions. AI threatens to push this further, because it can mass-produce misinformation on a scale far beyond anything seen in the social media era. EY also quotes an ethicist who warns that people who confide in AI companions that never push back may lose the habit of relying on one another, fracturing interpersonal trust.