Toward Responsible Recommender Systems

Abstract

Recommender systems have transformed our digital experiences in many regards. We enumerate six of their positive effects on the economy and humans, such as greater user satisfaction, time savings, broadening user horizons, and positive behavioral nudging. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the potential downsides inherent in their design. One significant concern is that these algorithms often prioritize the interests of the company deploying them, aiming to maximize profits and user engagement rather than solely focusing on enhancing user experience. Therefore, we also list and consider two use cases and six negative long-term impacts on humans, including addiction, reduced ability to think critically, less autonomy, and weakened human relationships caused by more and more human-like virtual assistants. Despite the undeniable utility of recommender systems, it is imperative to approach them critically, advocating for transparency, ethical considerations, and user empowerment to ensure that they serve as tools for enrichment rather than exploitation. To accomplish this, the idea and challenges of responsible recommender systems (RRSs) are presented. RRSs extend common recommender systems with components related to individual human values and goals as well as widely accepted well-being and lifestyle guidelines.