Algorithms can sway people when making online dating decisions

Artificial intelligence-based algorithms can influence people to prefer one political candidate – or a would-be partner – over another, according to researchers. "We are worried that everyone is using recommendation algorithms all the time, but there was no information on how effective those recommendation algorithms are," says Helena Matute at the University of Deusto in Spain. Her work with her colleague Ujué Agudo, also at the University of Deusto, was designed to investigate the issue. The researchers carried out a series of four experiments in which participants were told they were interacting with an algorithm that would judge their personality. The'algorithm' did not actually do this: it was a mock algorithm that responded in the same way regardless of the information participants gave it.