Is your daily routine just an algorithm in disguise?
In short: We often believe our choices are independent acts of free will. However, research suggests human mobility is remarkably predictable, defaulting to rigid, repeatable patterns. To break this cycle, computer scientist Max Hawkins spent two years letting algorithms decide everything from his meals to his travels.
Max Hawkins, a software engineer in San Francisco, began his experiment after discovering an academic study that tracked 100,000 anonymized mobile-phone users over six months. The research revealed a startling truth: human movement is surprisingly predictable. Most people default to simple, repeatable patterns, creating a life structure that feels programmed rather than chosen. Hawkins felt this 'ennui' personally; despite having a high-quality life with an optimized commute and curated social habits, he realized he was essentially reading the same story every day.
To counter this predictability, Hawkins deliberately engineered his own set of algorithms to randomize his existence. Instead of choosing the best café or the most efficient bike route based on Yelp ratings or GPS data, he relinquished decision-making power to code. This shift moved him away from a life optimized for efficiency and toward one defined by unexpected variety. By removing the burden of choice, he sought to discover what lies outside his habitual comfort zone.
The experiment lasted two years and served as a critique of how modern optimization can lead to a sense of stagnation. While algorithms are typically used to streamline our lives—predicting what we want to eat or where we want to go—Hawkins used them to disrupt those very predictions. His experience suggests that by intentionally introducing randomness, one might uncover a richer, more complex reality that the 'optimized' life tends to filter out.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Max Hawkins: I let algorithms randomize my life for two years | TED
- Also: He’s So Random
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