Next Steps and Action Items Given the vast sea of information that we navigate every day, it is not possible to avoid the impacts of recommendation systems, both on consumers and producers. It would also be folly to give up on their potential when the recommendation system can be harnessed to nurture an attention economy that is not tilted to reward those who aim to divide us. We must at least level the playing field so that bridge-building has a fighting chance against divisiveness—and neither chronological feeds nor a free for all “choose your own ranking system” are likely to be sufficient. There are two core technologies that can contribute to bridging: •
Bridging Metrics for measuring the extent that a recommendation system rewards divisive action vs. bridging action.
•
Bridging Methods for weighting and ranking content in ways that support bridging action (as opposed to weighting primarily on engagement).
Resourcing: research, development, evaluation, deployment, and community We need investment by both the public and private sectors in order to rapidly develop, deploy, and scale viable versions of these technologies for bridging-based ranking.
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Harvard Kennedy School
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