Algorithms Trap Us in the Familiar. Can They Also Spark Breakthroughs?
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Frontiers
An MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management.
Summary:
Most digital tools are designed for efficiency, not exploration — and that can stymie innovation. New research shows that standard ...
Listen to “Algorithms Trap Us in the Familiar. Can They Also Spark Breakthroughs?” (09:56)
Algorithmic tools promise to democratize access to knowledge and thus spark creativity and innovation, but research we conducted revealed a hidden risk: Those tools may be silently narrowing organizations’ creative potential by suppressing the value of expertise. The fault lies not with the experts but with the hidden architecture of the tools they use. The invisible design choices embedded in algorithmic tools fundamentally shape creative output.
Standard algorithms behind search, discovery, recommendations, or large language models (LLMs) are designed around exploitation logic: They prioritize popular, relevant results, which reinforces what users already...
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