Social media promised to connect us. The business model found more money in dividing us, and AI is making it faster.

The outrage business

There's a line attributed to Walter Isaacson that I keep coming back to. The technology that promised to connect us found a better business model in dividing us.

I reckon that's one of the biggest problems we face. Social media was meant to bring people together. Instead, it rewards outrage, anger and division, because angry people stay engaged, and engagement makes money.

AI is speeding it up

Artificial intelligence is accelerating the problem. Content can be produced almost instantly. Fake news sites can imitate real journalism. And it's getting harder to tell genuine reporting from manufactured content.

Why local journalism matters

At the same time, local newspapers have been disappearing. The journalists who went to council meetings, covered local businesses and held decision-makers to account have increasingly been replaced by algorithms.

That's why it's encouraging to see publications like the North Coast Post serving communities across Moore. Journalism isn't just words on a screen. It's someone who knows their community, asks hard questions and takes responsibility for what they publish.

Technology should serve the public

When the companies controlling technology make more money dividing us than informing us, we've got a serious problem. We need a digital economy that rewards reliable information, not manufactured outrage. And we need AI to strengthen Australian communities, not further undermine the institutions they rely on.

Tom French is the Federal Member for Moore.