Illustration: Errol F. Richardson for Bloomberg
What Happens When We Insist on Optimizing Fun?
Quants, bots and now AI are changing how we play, watch, travel and connect — even for those of us who think we’re immune.
For a technology that could revolutionize work, upend economies and maybe even threaten our survival, artificial intelligence often surprises me with the ways it’s actually being used.
Consider curling. For the uninitiated, it’s a sport that involves sliding a granite stone across some ice. Teammates glide alongside, frantically sweeping the ice to help steer the stone toward a target. It’s a long way from the adrenalized, big-money contests of the National Football League or the Ultimate Fighting Championship, yet even “the sheet” (as aficionados call the playing surface) isn’t safe from meddling machines.