Human-Machine Algorithms: Interview with Eric Colson

"Therefore render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." We tend to think that recommender systems are old hat. ECommerce platforms like Amazon have been using techniques like collaborative filtering for years to help shoppers navigate vast catalogues by inferring consumer taste from past behavior. And yet, we've all experienced the limitations of these approaches (that time you bought a toilet bowl plunger to subsequently be flooded by recommendations for strange bathroom accessories). This may be a nuisance for consumers, but it doesn't jeopardize eCommerce business models: only 35% of Amazon's sales, for example, are driven from recommendations.