Lecture Discussion Questions: Business Models
The following discussion questions are based on todays readings / videos:
- Cory Doctorow. (2023). Enshittification. DEF CON 31.
Please watch the entire video (45 mins)
- skimMaréchal, N; MacKinnon, R; Dheere, J (2020). It's Not Just the Content, It's the Business Model: Democracy’s Online Speech Challenge. New America
- optionalZittron, Ed. (2024, July 3). I Will Piledrive You If You Mention AI Again Ft. Nik Suresh & Robert Evans. Better Offline
This is a funny one if you have the time for it.
“Enshittification”
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What is a platform? Consider both who platforms serve and what platforms do?
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What is “Enshittification”?
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Pick an existing platform and describe what the “Enshittification” process looks like.
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What is a “Network Effect”?
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What policies allow “Enshittification” to happen?
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What needs to happen to prevent it?
- Why is this a societal / ethical issue? Consider:
- What kinds of important human activities do platforms mediate?
- How does “enshittification” shape the direction that AI takes? Consider any of the following dimensions:
- Monetization as the primary goal
- Bias and discrimination (e.g., using data-driven decision-making to favor groups more likely to generate revenue)
- Concentration of AI resources towards the goals of very rich and powerful people (business and government interests)
- Content quality