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I let algorithms choose my clothes, food and more for a week

In an experiment designed to better understand how algorithms work and influence our lives, I let a handful of algorithms determine my clothing, food, activities, movies and music for a whole week. For more insights into my week of surrender, check out my article on CNET.com: Subscribe to CNET: Like us on Facebook: Follow us…

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In an experiment designed to better understand how algorithms work and influence our lives, I let a handful of algorithms determine my clothing, food, activities, movies and music for a whole week.

For more insights into my week of surrender, check out my article on CNET.com:

Subscribe to CNET:
Like us on Facebook:
Follow us on Twitter:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on TikTok:

0:00 Intro
1:05 Clothes
3:42 Food & activities
9:07 Movies
10:53 Music
11:29 Escape the algorithms
12:28 What I learned
13:49 Conclusion

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40 Comments

40 Comments

  1. Augústo Williams

    July 29, 2021 at 12:36 pm

    “It’s not that I don’t like the color “ means she doesn’t like the color ????????????

    • Deborah Ajao

      July 29, 2021 at 9:08 pm

      Correct.

  2. interwebfiend

    July 29, 2021 at 12:50 pm

    I can’t wait for the day when the algorithmic overlords just send me things before I know I need them.

    • Deborah Ajao

      July 29, 2021 at 9:08 pm

      That would be interesting.

  3. Robert Rutkowski

    July 29, 2021 at 12:53 pm

    Great video! Ideas you could similarly try:
    –Apps for sharing everything: your car, your house, your time (watching pets, ride sharing).
    –Anything fringe where people wonder: what’s it really like?

  4. Pamela

    July 29, 2021 at 12:55 pm

    Algorithm successful because a few places have you for “life” now! ????????

  5. BadJuju

    July 29, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    Cool concept for a video. Do you often feel like you’re living in an algorithm everyday? Is this the matrix? Follow the white rabbit.

  6. Eric Brett

    July 29, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    My team thinks you look like Richard Simmons in most clothes.

  7. Jaha Soto

    July 29, 2021 at 2:13 pm

    You should do a Google only video, I think the algorithm would do better

  8. CyPsyGuy

    July 29, 2021 at 2:20 pm

    Free-will is an illusion Why do you think you have free-will?

    • Shoemowetochawcawe

      July 29, 2021 at 8:35 pm

      Sure thing, Bill Gates.

  9. 레오

    July 29, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    1:54 I like how the c|net logo is just written plainly on that whiteboard with a red marker.????

    • Jesse Orrall

      July 29, 2021 at 3:06 pm

      Thanks for noticing 🙂

  10. Titus Bogba

    July 29, 2021 at 2:29 pm

    Connect with the people and the people will take care of the algorithm????????

  11. Jesse Orrall

    July 29, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    Hey everyone! Thanks so much for watching. If you’ve got any ideas for other TECH-speriments you’d like to see me attempt, please let me know down below 🙂

    • John Lin

      July 29, 2021 at 6:58 pm

      Thanks for the write up, Jesse. It’s John from Taste. I wrote that algo and I’m so sorry to have put you through The Road…:/

    • Danner Banks

      July 29, 2021 at 8:24 pm

      I’d be interested to see you dive deep on certain product categories and compare different services within each category, like clothes, restaurants, things to do, etc.

    • Jesse Orrall

      July 30, 2021 at 4:29 pm

      @John Lin haha no worries John 🙂

  12. Danner Banks

    July 29, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    This video was so fun, makes me want to try it.

  13. Juan

    July 29, 2021 at 3:33 pm

    In before the algorithm makes this pop off

  14. Matthew Ferrara

    July 29, 2021 at 3:46 pm

    This was fun – a little advertise-y, but interesting nonetheless. I use Apple Music and although I didn’t like say half of the songs they recommend, I’ve discovered artists I’m obsessed with thanks to them.

    Seems algorithms are great to shake up a routine if you want some variety, but aren’t good as a daily driver.

  15. David Oh

    July 29, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    Based on the spots you went to, it looks like you live darn close to me in southern California, lol..

  16. Stefan Borisov

    July 29, 2021 at 3:47 pm

    Google’s algorithms are a lot better. Try Google TV and YouTube for movies and videos, Google Maps for food and activities and last YouTube Music for… well music.

  17. J P

    July 29, 2021 at 4:20 pm

    Clothes: he picked the wrong ✂️ cut. Slim

  18. Marc robson

    July 29, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    I Watch a lot of cnet stuff this is the first time I’ve commented because I really liked this video. Would like more from Jesse keep it up

  19. emdec55

    July 29, 2021 at 7:43 pm

    LA “uprising”, are you kidding?

    • Call Me Ishmael

      July 30, 2021 at 11:52 pm

      LOL — I lived in LA in 1992. It was riots.

    • Jamal

      July 31, 2021 at 12:18 am

      CNET be full woke.

    • emdec55

      July 31, 2021 at 12:24 am

      @Call Me Ishmael I lived in LA, too. In fact, I even know people who rioted. No joke, I had family members who were arrested for looting. I also know people who lost property. They would literally laugh at the notion of it being an “uprising”.

  20. Andrés Ossa

    July 29, 2021 at 8:19 pm

    How very interesting

  21. Shoemowetochawcawe

    July 29, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    The creeps at CNET are just getting us prepped.

  22. Florent S.

    July 29, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    When CNET meets Buzzfeed!

  23. Michael Smith

    July 29, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    Most algorithms aren’t to help you as much as they are to help push advertised products to you. TikTok has a better system, user centric vs advertiser and platform profit motivated.

  24. Jabari

    July 29, 2021 at 10:11 pm

    Oh, slow your “woke” bias, CNET. The LA riots weren’t an “Uprising”, they were riots. Thousands of people were injured by the rioters, dozens killed, a billion dollars in damage. Most of the people harmed were minorities, and much of the damage was to private businesses. That’s not an “Uprising”.

  25. HitchSlappedUSA

    July 29, 2021 at 10:38 pm

    This is a great video! I’ve wanted to try something like this for a long time. Why should I make any decisions about my life-basics when a computer can do it for me? Especially clothing and food and basic mundane stuff like that.
    Thanks for doing this, it let us know how a person may feel about doing it. I think you should do more things like this.
    I find your videos to be some of the most interesting ones on this channel – they are always something a little different that I have not seen before. Well done!

  26. Max R

    July 30, 2021 at 4:53 am

    So, how much electricity had to be produced for the computers to run your algorithms? How much energy, carbon had to be released to produce those computers? How much energy, and resources had to be used to train your algorithm, and then to correct them? LOLLL You get the point? Isn’t, probably, more efficient to just use a darn brain for such silly things? I know, for some, it is a difficulty to use a brain. Very difficult! Where are all the green tree-hugging advocates? “Keep calm and brain storm.”

  27. Muteeb 341-I

    July 30, 2021 at 6:20 am

    Well it is not that much “surrender”.

  28. M Parra

    July 30, 2021 at 10:41 am

    This is lame, he literally is relying on only a couple “algorithms” and acting super judgy as if he has NeVeR made a decision based on an ad that was generated for the bubble in which he lives. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even know what an algorithm is or how they are designed. Algorithms are only as smart as the data handed to them, if YOU make stupid decisions so will an algorithm based on YOUR data!

  29. Just Me

    July 30, 2021 at 5:22 pm

    You just ruined the whole experiment 6:28

  30. London1869

    July 30, 2021 at 7:39 pm

    Lost me with Yelp, which is toxic in its treatment of small businesses.

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