It is likely that more data will be created in 2024 than in all previous years combined. Data is neither information nor wisdom. How we use and interpret data is up to us.
There are those who naively believe that more data will automatically be a superior option. Statistically speaking, the larger the pile of data, the more false positives and negatives will be present. Weak correlations often fool us. Cause and effect are only rarely close in time or space. The more data, the more noise in the system. [Example case: The FBI had tips about a curious situation where Saudi men were only interested in learning how to fly planes but not land them. This was one of many thousands of active tips in the first half of 2001. “Why didn’t they connect the dots?” citizens demanded to know. This was a very weak correlation with threat compared to hundreds of other tips which appeared highly likely.]
This is true even when all the data is authentic, real, true. The presence of even unintentional errors like reversing two digits compounds the problem. Things become even messier when people lie and intentionally generate & spread falsehoods. Deepfakes.
In a world of abundance you must make better decisions than ever. Your time and attention are precious. Don’t squander them.
Perhaps the challenge of our generation is to be wisely selective about which data is worth further assessment. How do we properly select which data stream or pool to tap, and then use a trust-and-verify approach?
