NYT: Data scientist argues predictive algorithms are flattening culture into monotony
nordicinst · x · 2026-11-01
The New York Times profiles Lauren Leek, a data scientist at Leiden University, who argues that predictive algorithms are "flattening" modern consumer culture into sameness.
Standing on a typical London shopping street lined with Pret a Manger, Starbucks and Subway, Leek notes the area "used to be culturally diverse, now it is culturally generic," creating a sense of placelessness.
Her Substack piece "Temperature Zero for Culture: Why Everything Is Starting to Look the Same" analyzes how this flattening effect has reshaped music, film, hospitality and nearly every corner of consumer culture. The article gained traction via commentators like Cory Doctorow and John Naughton, and draws on data from 640 shopping streets to explain the math behind cultural monotony.
More from AGI Musings
- What the blind society of Apple TV+'s 'See' reveals about how we face AI — yongqianme · 2026-11-01
- MATS researcher explores a third path beyond disempowerment and augmentation — zetalyrae · 2026-11-01
- A rising tide raises all rents: who really captures AI's productivity gains? — zetalyrae · 2026-11-01
- Anthropic safety clash: Nathan Calvin publicly challenges Dario over 'racing to the top' strategy — zetalyrae · 2026-11-01
- 'I want an AI that actually argues with me': pushback on sycophantic assistants — VraserX · 2026-11-01
- X user says AI has become his mentor and will soon surpass the greatest human minds — DeryaTR_ · 2026-11-01