When you turn on the radio and listen to sounds on air, you form an image of the person you are hearing. This is done, for example, on the basis of the sound, the words used and the way a person speaks. Does a person speak quickly or is he a nervous person: these are all factors that count in the formation of the image. Krijn Schuurman says about The new algorithm†
A new algorithm analyzes 38 factors
This algorithm determines a person’s mental state based on 38 factors analyzed from a public Twitter profile. For example, the algorithm considers the content of messages and the amount of positive and negative words used in them, but also, for example, what emoji are being reviewed. In addition, the time the tweet is posted, the number of followers of the user and the number of people the user is following are also taken into account.
“There is something to be said for the fact that if you analyze such a pattern and there is also scientific evidence behind it, you can draw conclusions from it,” Schurmann says. In addition to the fact that the algorithm can contribute to the early diagnosis of depression in a Twitter user, it can also be used as a tool for self-reflection. “Suppose you kept a diary, I would find it quite interesting what my language when I was 20 said about my character,” Schurmann says.
What is the algorithm used?
“The researchers have now shown that this is possible,” Schurmann says. “The purpose of it is now in the public domain.” In this study, data from Twitter is used because it is public and therefore can be easily collected and searched. But the algorithm is platform independent, which means it can also be implemented on other social channels like Facebook or WhatsApp in the future.
When it comes to new technology, the downside is easy. “Why is it used?” is the question, according to Schurmann. You can also ask yourself: Who does the information from the new algorithm end up with? Whether you can only use it as a tool, or whether your employer can also see the conclusions the algorithm draws, that makes a world of difference.
The other side of new technology
According to Scheuermann, it is necessary to be careful with the new technology. “Amazon, for example, once used it to analyze employees in warehouses. This is actually a form of monitoring and has also led to tips for promotion or dismissal. We think this goes too far.”
“Or think of a tax body that does an analysis based on all kinds of characteristics and infers from that if you might be a fraud, then we would like to know how the algorithm works. So it is a good tool, but we have to beware that we use it well,” Schurmann says. .
Enhanced decision making
This does not mean that there is also Nice examples Where the algorithm can be particularly useful. In other words: With new technology, we always have to wait to see how it can be used, as the Internet expert says: “A lot of cool things happen that we can no longer do manually, but with the help of these computers, you can.”
Scheuermann refers to reinforced decision making. “This means that we will make better decisions, especially in complex situations. So people who have to process a lot of information can get help from computers.”
