For me, the dystopic part would be to have a single, automated source of "truth", like the Sesame score, used everywhere.
It means that everything becomes easy or difficult because of that score. Suddenly you cannot rent or at higher price, your insurance rate will increase, it is harder to get a job...
Optimistically, in theory, it could make people "better", but who decides what "better" or "worthy" means ?
Someone is "more worthy" according to an opaque machine learning algorithm. Your line is exactly the danger: people are going to confuse "the computer says X" with "X is true".
Where as before people would have decide that themselves even if its a shallow cursory judgement. At least people are makeing their own decisions instead of blindy following a number/evaluation with criteria they do not know.
It could be problematic if there was only one source of subjective information, especially if any perceived past transgressions were irredeemable. But if they are factual, do you have a problem with that? E.G, you go to hire somebody and find out that it's not recommended by hiring_hueristic_x based predominately on factors X,Y,Z (X being he stole from his past 10 employers, Y being he never held a job for more than 6 months, Z being he commonly posts serious threats about people he doesn't like online).
Also, do you have any idea what actually occurs when you make a decision? I don't. I would love to know someone who does. I still follow it.
It turns into a small number making decision for many. Where as without the system it is decentralized and eveyone is making independent decisions. There also more room for nuance.
Do think conpanies are going to develop there own AI and gather datasets on people just evalute potental hires. Train it for the requirements they feel is best for there company?
No they are going to out source it. So what is likely going to happen is only small number of systems making these decisons.
* You apply for a loan, it is refused
* Your admission, for you or your children, to a school or university is refused because more worthy people have applied
* Your job application is refused,
All because of a fuzzy social score, that is mined from your contacts, activities on social network, meta data gathered from your smartphone in an opaque way, CCTV cameras, etc
I mean if we have a way to rate people, why not use it everywhere !
This is already partially implemented in China, I remember reading an example where with a low social score you have to pay for a deposit, and you don't have to with a high social score.
In a way, that sound efficient and meritocratic, but also ruthless if you end up with a low score.
edit : add a reference with some every day life examples
https://www.wired.com/story/age-of-social-credit/