It’s hard to ignore the seismic shifts brought about by algorithm-driven content. Every time you scroll through your social media feed or check your favorite news app, algorithms are diligently at ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

In 2025, the Instagram algorithm has become more advanced than ever, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to decide what content users see in their Feeds, Reels, Stories, Explore pages, ...