Ranked but Not Defined

The internet, although not explicitly created for it, promised freedom. At least in one aspect.  

No gatekeepers or tollbooths. No rigid categories. Anonymity. You could be anyone, say anything, and build something new.

I’m an engineer in the traditional sense (a category), but also, I am these other things that the internet has made possible. I’m a spewer of thoughts and pictures. I’m a connector of people. I’m a builder of a company. 

But now in the place of categories come rankings.

Followers. Engagement. Reviews. Clicks. Eyeballs. Now I’m ranked. 

Along comes AI.

AI adds prediction to ranking. We’re labeled by the mysterious patterns we never see, but the ghost in the machine does. It nudges us further into our own echo chamber.

Yes, freedom from old hierarchies, but at the same time, tethering us to new ones. 

It sort of feels like a destiny over which we have no control. And yet, it’s just a tool. The internet and now AI can amplify either sameness or possibility. They can reinforce the system, or they can spark something new. 

The difference is awareness. Awareness of the systems, but also awareness of each other. 

Awareness reminds us we’re not just data points in a model. We’re people, and people can still surprise. We can think. We can feel. We can care about each other. 

That’s the real freedom.