Table of contents
About Grayscale
An invitation to slow down, zoom out, and think deeply about how the internet is forming us.
OpeningLetter
You’ve probably noticed it: the subtle shift from what you choose to what’s chosen for you.
Scroll through Instagram, refresh your YouTube homepage, click on one more recommended article--and somewhere along the way, your preferences begin to reflect not just who you are, but what the algorithm wants you to become.
We’ve built a world where personalization reigns--but it often comes at the cost of personhood.
As we invite artificial intelligence deeper into our daily lives--whether it’s ChatGPT helping with emails, Spotify generating our playlists, or TikTok curating the next viral moment--it’s worth asking: are we being shaped by tools, or manipulated by systems?
In a digital world where every click feeds a model, every moment becomes data. And the machine never stops learning.
But here's the tension worth embracing: we are more than our preferences. More than our engagement rates. More than the sum of our scrolls.
We are people--complex, contradictory, creative.
So how do we stay human in a world optimized for conversion?
Eric Brown
Co-Founder, Whiteboard
In a digital world where every click feeds a model, every moment becomes data.
“We’re building a dystopia just to make people click on ads.”
Zeynep Tufekci, Tech Sociologist
“The algorithm is not neutral. It reflects the goals of its designers.”
Cathy O'Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction
The BigPicture
A snapshot of algorithms at scale.
64%
64% of people have unknowingly watched and believed AI-generated content as real.
70%
YouTube’s recommendation engine drives 70% of total watch time.
10,000
The average person sees over 10,000 algorithmically-sorted messages a day (from search results to ads to content feeds).
10-20
TikTok’s algorithm can detect your emotional state within 10-20 minutes of scrolling.
EmbracingTension
Algorithms vs. Personhood
Algorithms
Without awareness--pattern-matching systems that prioritize engagement, not enrichment. Optimized for time-on-screen, not truth or trust. Algorithms reduce us to profiles, strip nuance, and reinforce bias through feedback loops.
Personhood
With intention--the sacred uniqueness of human beings. Personhood means dignity, choice, and agency. It acknowledges that we are not simply data to be categorized--we are people with stories, contradictions, and souls.
We are not just users. We are not just consumers. We are not just clicks.
“We’re building a dystopia just to make people click on ads.”
Zeynep Tufekci, Tech Sociologist
“The algorithm is not neutral. It reflects the goals of its designers.”
Cathy O'Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction
The Reframe& Resources
Unpacking hidden algorithms.
Tristan Harris urges responsible AI development to avoid past mistakes.
To Know—
- Algorithms are trained to optimize your behavior for their goals.
- You are not the customer--you are the product.
- Infinite scroll isn’t accidental--it’s engineered addiction.
—and do.
- Be intentional about what you watch, read, and follow.
- Curate your digital diet like you would your food.
- Set screen limits, take tech sabbaths, prioritize in-person connection.
ConcludingReflection
We live in a world that wants to predict us, package us, and monetize us.
But we’re not made to be predictable.
When we begin to mistake algorithmic suggestions for authentic desire, we risk losing the very thing that makes us human: our ability to choose, reflect, resist, and create.
Let’s reclaim our agency. Let’s outsmart the feed. Let’s remind the world that we are not inputs--we’re individuals.
In the age of AI, what makes you you is not just your data. It’s your decisions.
Eric Brown
Co-Founder, Whiteboard
In the age of AI, what makes you you is not just your data. It’s your decisions.
