Social Media Communication

12 The App Economy and Artificial Intelligence

LEARNING GOALS

This chapter will help you understand:

• What are the major factors behind the boom of the app economy?
• How are the apps used to promote business?
• How does AI differ from machine learning, deep learning, and algorithm?
• How can users evaluate the algorithm experience on social media?
• How is AI shaping the social media use in business settings?

KEY CONCEPTS

Mobile app

App intelligence

Artificial intelligence

Algorithm

Theory Highlight

Knowledge Gap Hypothesis

Overview

This chapter has two topics. The first one is about mobile apps and the second about artificial intelligence that powers social media functions and user experience. The two topics may seem not to be directly related to each other but both of them are closely associated with the mechanism of social media usage. At the end of this chapter, we will discuss the knowledge gap hypothesis, a theoretical approach to analyze how people with a high or low socioeconomic status may be different in terms of absorbing information presented by mass media. The former can take in the information much faster than the latter, resulting in an increased gap in knowledge between these two segments of society. First, let us discuss the rising app economy.

1. The App Economy

Without mobile apps, our smartphones may look like a brick. As social media users keep downloading new apps on to their smartphones for various purposes, like searching for a takeout eatery or hiring ...