By Andrew Schwabe 8 Oct 2024

With Or Without Big "A" Algorithms

In an era where algorithms and artificial intelligence dominate our daily lives, I find myself increasingly drawn to the simplicity and charm of retro technology. This nostalgic journey isn't just about reliving the past; it's a conscious effort to reclaim control and authenticity in a world saturated with targeted advertising and in-app purchases.

Don't get me wrong—I LOVE tech. My passion for AI models and algorithms has led me to found several technology companies, including Saigon A.I. where we help customers worldwide create, optimize and scale custom AI Agents and automations. However, I've noticed a concerning trend: corporate products powered by AI often have a hidden agenda. This "pull" makes sense for free services like Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, which rely on advertisers as a significant source of funding for their operations. As a consumer, you may not pay with cash, but you're paying with your data—both demographic and behavioral. The big "A" Algorithm's job is to steer you towards profitable content, ensuring that advertising translates into sales, and the method is through addictive content that results in “doom scrolling” behavior.

My family raised eyebrows when we canceled our cable TV service 20 years ago. Our rationale? The constant stream of commercials and the endless hunt for "what to watch next" fostered habits that clashed with our family values. We opted for card games and board games instead of binge-watching network TV programs.

Hacking Together an iPod: A Family Project

Recently, my kids and I embarked on a project to hack an old iPod. Our motivation stemmed from frustration with online services that make it increasingly difficult to enjoy content without constant upgrade prompts and relentless invasive advertisements. This isn't a critique session, but it highlights a growing challenge: enjoying supposedly free content without interruption. For instance, streaming a clip from a certain app on your phone to your TV frequently breaks when an ad appears, forcing you to restart the app and reconnect—only to face the same ad again immediately or a few moments later. This issue has persisted unaddressed by popular streaming services, and it quickly becomes tiresome.

The constant feed of advertisements, many of which are inappropriate for the misaligned age group of the content we are trying to enjoy, was our primary motivation for change. I'm amazed at how enticing it is to fall down the rabbit hole of clicking on subsequent content that eventually bears no relation to one’s original query. While occasionally interesting, we found this pattern uncomfortable—a classic Big "A" Algorithm problem.

Why an iPod classic? There's a growing trend in social channels for hacking old iPods. It's cool, fun, old tech. With minimal research, you can find used iPods and upgrade them with new components. We used micro SD cards for storage, giving us 64 or 128GB capacity. Add new batteries and fresh faceplates, and you've got some cool, semi-retro tech toys.

This project wasn't just a fun DIY activity; it was a deliberate choice to avoid the algorithmic onslaught and advertisements that accompany modern streaming services. By curating our own music library, we can enjoy our favorite tunes without interruptions, fostering a more personal and meaningful listening experience.

Embracing Old-School Handheld Gaming

Video games are fun—and can be addictive. Reflecting on the games I played in college and when our kids were young, I realized they were simpler. They required hand-eye coordination and grit to succeed, developing patience in the process.

Many new games differ significantly. They're immersive graphically and narratively, requiring a materialistic approach to collecting gear, experience, and "stuff" for advantages. This shift aligns with the "in-app payment" strategy, often encouraging players to buy advantages rather than work hard to find them. When you invest time to acquire a rare item and then lose it, the devastation can be intense—potentially contributing to significant stress or emotional triggers, especially for children.

If these games can potentially make life stressful or cause other problems, I prefer that our family avoids them. What's bad for me, I don't want for my kids either.

Consequently, we've revisited old-school handheld gaming consoles. They offer purchase-once, use-forever gaming—no in-app purchases, limited scope of gaming/item collecting, and depending on how retro you go, some immersion. Most importantly, many of these games return to the core goal of developing hand-eye coordination and building grit, determination, and patience. The right handheld can still enable multiplayer gaming over a wireless network without privacy concerns!

Our device of choice is the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo may have considered this product at its end-of-life, but what a mistake! There's tremendous value here. Parents and kids can play games together in a safe local network, free from fears of interacting with strangers or exposure to inappropriate content. Most games we play aren't so complicated that they challenge us older folks to keep up. Mario Kart, golf, tank games, and similar titles are all multiplayer, fun, and surprisingly social—we laugh, joke, and talk while playing with or against each other.

These devices offer a simpler, purer, and more relational experience while still enjoying most of technology's benefits. There's something incredibly satisfying about playing a game that doesn't constantly prompt you to buy extra lives or special items. The big "A" Algorithm we've pushed away here is monetization. While the world has shifted to subscriptions, retro tech can be quite affordable when subscriptions make the total cost of ownership multiple times higher.

The Benefits of Being (Slightly More) Disconnected

While we still use technology, stepping back from the always-connected digital world has its benefits. We've found the following advantages in using these retro-tech devices:

1. Better Habits and Time Usage: We have more control over addictive behavior. We're in charge when a song or game finishes, and we have to choose the next activity.
2. Better Sleep: Listening instead of watching in the evening helps eliminate blue light and eye strain, resulting in improved sleep.
3. Stronger Relationships: We're more social about the content we're using, often laughing and talking while playing. This effect is similar to when we decided to play more board and card games.

Is being fully connected better than slightly connected? That's a different conversation. Personally, I'd find it challenging to abandon the tech that shaped my career, so it needs to be a carefully measured balancing act, with constant self-checks to see how I might be pulled by algorithms into unhealthy habits.

In a world where technology often equates to convenience, it's refreshing to find joy in the simplicity of retro tech. By choosing to disconnect, even just a little, we can reclaim a sense of control and enjoy a more intentional and fulfilling life.

Andrew Schwabe is a serial entrepreneur, AI researcher, musician, father, and tinkerer (or hacker, if you prefer). He founded ForMotiv, Inc. (formotiv.com) and Saigon A.I. (saigonai.com) and is actively involved in several new products and has been featured in Forbes. You can reach him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/aschwabe/.