<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body>
<div style="line-break:after-white-space">
<div style="text-align:center"><font size="4">Étienne Brown (San José State)</font></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><font size="5">"Recommended Selves: Authenticity and Algorithmic Filtering”</font></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><font size="4">UC Merced Philosophy Speaker Series</font></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><font size="4">Friday, February 7, 2025</font></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><font size="4">3:30-5pm COB2 267</font></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><font size="4"><br>
</font></div>
<div style="text-align:left">By allocating their attention to pieces of content, algorithmic filtering shapes the daily behavior of billions of users when they interact with a digital platform. Beyond conditioning what we do, can recommendation algorithms influence
who we are? This paper suggests that they do. Specifically, I contend that recommender systems affect users’ capacity to be their authentic selves in both positive and negative ways. I start by offering an account of authenticity that builds on two ideals:
volitional alignment and self-understanding. I then explain how algorithmic filtering works and impacts authenticity. While recommender systems frustrate users’ second-order desires by relying on uninformative behavioral signals, they also facilitate self-understanding
by inciting users to question their identity. I end by discussing how controllable and explainable recommenders would best enable users to be authentic. Contrary to a recent objection, algorithmic filtering can be an important source of self-knowledge for
users. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>This event is free and open to the public. If you’re a student at another school or community college faculty, contact Dan Hicks (<a href="mailto:danhicks@ucmerced.edu">danhicks@ucmerced.edu</a>) for directions and parking. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
<div style="line-break:after-white-space"><br>
<div>
<div dir="auto" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; word-spacing:0px; text-decoration:none; line-break:after-white-space">
<div dir="auto" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; word-spacing:0px; text-decoration:none; line-break:after-white-space">
<div dir="auto" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; word-spacing:0px; text-decoration:none; line-break:after-white-space">
<div dir="auto" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; word-spacing:0px; text-decoration:none; line-break:after-white-space">
<div dir="auto" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; word-spacing:0px; text-decoration:none; line-break:after-white-space">
<div dir="auto" style="color:rgb(0,0,0); letter-spacing:normal; text-align:start; text-indent:0px; text-transform:none; white-space:normal; word-spacing:0px; text-decoration:none; line-break:after-white-space">
<div>-----</div>
<div>Dan Hicks</div>
<div>Associate Professor and Chair</div>
<div>Department of Philosophy</div>
<div>University of California, Merced</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Pronouns: they/them/their</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>