Good Intention, Bad Intention, and Algorithm: Rethinking the Value of Nudge in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The algorithm not only amplifies every detail of human society but also has the same function as the famous nudge technique, i.e. choice architecture, which pushes people toward a certain direction while assuming it’s made by their own will. By this nudge-like function of the algorithm, I want to reevaluate the long-controversial issue of the concept of nudge: is this nudge technique harmless? And if it isn’t, can we still use this nudge technique even with good intention? I’ll start by introducing the concepts of nudge and sludge then talk about their main issues. Third, I’ll use three algorithmic examples to demonstrate the consequences of this nudge technique. Fourth, I will address the nature of the nudge technique and the meaning of intention in nudge. Fifth, I’ll push the discussion further for an important philosophical issue: the white lie. Finally, I’ll summarize my argument and conclude this paper.