Al Gore calls social media algorithms ‘digital’ AR-15s

Former Vice President Al Gore took aim at social media algorithms Tuesday, saying sites that are “dominated by algorithms” are the “digital equivalent of AR-15s.”

Gore, speaking at the Bloomberg Green at COP28 event, said spending too much time scrolling on social media could be dangerous and suggested algorithms be banned. Numerous lawmakers have raised concerns about the use of social media among children.

“If you have social media that is dominated by algorithms that pull people down these rabbit holes that are a bit like pitcher plants, these algorithms, they are the digital equivalent of AR-15s,” he said. “They ought to be banned, they really ought to be banned. It’s an abuse of the public forum.”

He warned that social media users can find themselves in an echo chamber after spending time scrolling through the algorithm. 

“And you spend too much time in the echo chamber, what’s weaponized is another form of AI —not artificial intelligence, artificial insanity,” he continued. “I’m serious. I’m serious. QAnon is just the best-known version of artificial insanity.”

“And these devices are the enemies of self-government, and they’re the enemies of democracy. We need reforms for both democracy and capitalism,” he added.

Algorithms used by social media platforms have faced scrutiny for years. Attention to the potential threats created by algorithms rose in 2021 after a Facebook whistleblower testified on Capitol Hill that the company’s decisions over its algorithms “are a huge problem — for children, for public safety, for democracy.”

YouTube faced similar blowback for its algorithm in recent years for directing users to misleading and extremist content on its platform. In 2021, YouTube announced it removed more than 1 million videos related to “dangerous coronavirus information” since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.