Publications

Download

The Illusion of Free Choice in the Age of Augmented Decisions

Download
Suggested Citation

Buder, F., Pauwels, K. & Daikoku, K. (2021). The Illusion of Free Choice in the Age of Augmented Decisions. NIM Marketing Intelligence Review 13(1), 46-51. https://doi.org/10.2478/nimmir-2021-0008.

Year

2021

Authors
Dr. Fabian Buder,
Koen Pauwels,
Kairun Daikoku
Publication title
The Illusion of Free Choice in the Age of Augmented Decisions
Publication
NIM Marketing Intelligence Review
Download

The Illusion of Free Choice in the Age of Augmented Decisions

Fabian Buder, Koen Pauwels and Kairun Daikoku 

In our augmented world, many decision situations are designed by smart technologies. Artificial intelligence helps reduce information overload, filter relevant information and limit an otherwise overwhelming abundance of choices. While such algorithms make our lives more convenient, they also fulfill various organizational objectives that users may not be aware of and that may not be in their best interest. We do not know whether algorithms truly optimize the benefits of their users or rather the return on investment of a company. They are not only designed for convenience but also to be addictive, and this opens the doors for manipulation. Therefore, augmented decision making undermines the freedom of choice. To limit the threats of augmented decisions and enable humans to be critical towards the outcomes of artificial intelligence–driven recommendations, everybody should develop “algorithmic literacy.” It involves a basic understanding of artificial intelligence and how algorithms work in the background. Algorithmic literacy also requires that users understand the role and value of the personal data they sacrifice in exchange for decision augmentation.  

Authors

  • Dr. Fabian Buder, Head of Future & Trends, NIM, fabian.buder@nim.org
  • Koen Pauwels, Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Northeastern University Boston, MA, USA
  • Kairun Daikoku, Journalist, Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions, Nuremberg, Germany
Share Publication

Other articles of the MIR issue “The Dark Sides of Digital Marketing”

Here you can find more exciting articles of this issue.

To the entire issue

[Translate to English:]

Illuminating the Dark: Exploring the Unintended Consequences of Digital Marketing

Our relationship to technology is deeply paradoxical. On the one hand, we buy and constantly use more devices and apps, leaving our traces …

Read more
[Translate to English:]

Marketing Automation: Marketing Utopia or Marketing Dystopia?

Automated and personalized interactions may increase the relevance of marketing offers, but they also have less-positive economic and …

Read more
[Translate to English:]

Algorithm-Based Advertising: Unintended Effects and the Tricky Business of Mitigating Adverse Outcomes

Some algorithms may have similar discriminatory tendencies to humans. The presented study investigates gender bias in social media …

Read more
[Translate to English:]

Metrics Gone Wrong: What Managers Can Learn from the 2016 US Presidential Election

In the 2016 presidential election, the vast majority of available polls showed a comfortable lead for Hillary Clinton throughout the whole …

Read more
[Translate to English:]

Ghosts in the Dark: How to Prepare for Times of Hyper-Privacy

Even the dark web has its bright sides because it can be used as an unregulated testbed for technologies that will eventually appear on …

Read more

Instead of People Using Technology, Technology is Using People

The progress of artificial intelligence and new technologies triggers hot debates about the future of human life. While fans of the …

Read more
[Translate to English:]

Young, but not Naive: Leaders of Tomorrow Expect Limits to Digital Freedom to Preserve Freedom

In a recent survey, about 900 “Leaders of Tomorrow” from more than 90 countries all over the world shared their opinions about “the impact …

Read more
Scroll to top