Fable
Write clearly on the lantern where it shines, so passersby know whether they should follow it
The night market had many guiding lanterns. In the past, lanterns only lit the way and did not say where they came from; pedestrians followed the light and rarely asked more. Later the merchants' association switched to talking lanterns. They could recommend stalls, arrange routes, remind about discounts, and change suggestions based on guests' clothing, accent and carried tokens.
The stall owner first thought the smarter the better, and only engraved tiny words at the bottom of the lantern: This lantern is for reference only. Most pedestrians couldn't see it, nor did they know why the lantern had brought them to this street.
One day, an out-of-town visitor was led by the lanterns to the high-priced stall area, and only later realized that local customers saw a different path. The chamber of commerce said the lanterns were only recommendations, but the visitor felt secretly manipulated.
The chamber of commerce redefined the rules: the lantern must state that it guides automatically, what categories of information it uses, what it can do, what it cannot do, who is responsible for maintenance, and how pedestrians can choose otherwise or complain.
The high-impact route must also show a summary of reasons: because it is close, the queue is short, the budget matches, or because a certain stall paid a promotion fee. Promotions and neutral recommendations must be labeled separately. After transparency, the lantern did not become less intelligent. On the contrary, pedestrians could more easily judge when to trust it and when to walk on their own, and stall owners found it harder to hide selfish motives in the light.
An old cloth seller was led by a lantern to the most expensive stall, and only after going home did he learn that a cheaper shop was right next door. At first the chamber of commerce had the lantern speak more politely: 'recommended for you,' 'suits you.' The words were smoother, but no one knew why it led the way it did, or who had changed the rules inside the wick.
Later, beside each lantern, a small sign was added: which conditions this suggestion considered, whether it collected a toll from stall owners, whether pedestrians could choose not to be remembered, and whom to appeal to if something went wrong. The lanterns still guided the way, but no longer resembled an oracle in a black box. People could follow the light and also see where the light came from. With these signs, the stall owners also restrained themselves. If someone quietly bought all the bright roads, pedestrians could see the sponsorship mark; if someone was misled, they could also point out which condition the lantern had misread. Trust comes from being able to ask.
The night market learned that only when roles, purposes, limits, and responsibilities are visible can people talk about trust and accountability.