As I was wishing a friend a happy birthday on Facebook, I noticed a picture in their feed of a major life event, something I would have wanted to congratulate them for and celebrate with them (even if it was from a distance). I didn’t see their post in my feed, and I assumed it was because I was not following them on Facebook. Long story short, during the pandemic, I could not leave Facebook because I used it for my churches, but I also could not deal with all the rage and politics and more. So I unfollowed almost everyone; it was not aimed at anyone in particular. I think the only person I still followed was my wife. It was not a reflection on the people or my relationship with them; it was just the place I was at.

Fast forward to today, I felt like a terrible friend, that I had missed something so wonderful, so I went to correct this error (which I assumed was the massive unfollowing of 2020), and discovered that in fact, I was following them on Facebook. I never stopped following them on Facebook. In Facebook world, I am their friend, I am following them, but Facebook decided not to show me this important milestone. I felt relief when I realized that we are not terrible; the algorithm is terrible. I have trouble staying connected with old and good friends; that is not Facebook’s fault. I have struggled with that for years, but in this case, I should have seen their life update. The algorithm that decides what shows up on Facebook for us is terrible, but we are not terrible.

Many companies today are proclaiming the benefits of AI; they might be right. Only time will tell. My question is if AI can write sermons for me and be a virtual assistant for me, then why can’t Facebook show me something to celebrate with my friends? I am not critiquing the functionality or benefits of AI so much as I am questioning the people who decide on how it can be used and how it is deployed. It don’t think this is a failure of technology itself, but of the decisions made in how it is used. Technology is not a bad thing, but only when it brings something to the table. Only when it adds value to our lives and not as another way to show us ads or to get our outrage flowing. We have plenty of that already. Some will point out that this is not an apples to apples comparison, and maybe they are right. I will let people smarter than me about technology answer that, but regardless of the answer, I think that also misses the point. If we can build AI, then why can’t we build an algorithm on Facebook that shows us our closest connections and builds joy? I won’t ascribe or assume motive; I am simply going to point out the gulf between the claims of technology and the results.

In the case of Facebook, I want to offer you the same gift I had today. We are not terrible; the algorithm is terrible.