New York Begins Asking If Algorithms Can Be Racist
December 27, 2017
The whole point of algorithms is to be blind to everything except data. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that in the wrong hands, algorithms and AI could have a very negative impact on users. We learned more in a recent ACLU post, “New York Takes on Algorithm Discrimination.”
According to the story:
A first-in-the-nation bill, passed yesterday in New York City, offers a way to help ensure the computer codes that governments use to make decisions are serving justice rather than inequality.
Algorithms are often presumed to be objective, infallible, and unbiased. In fact, they are highly vulnerable to human bias. And when algorithms are flawed, they can have serious consequences.
The bill, which is expected to be signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, will provide a greater understanding of how the city’s agencies use algorithms to deliver services while increasing transparency around them. This bill is the first in the nation to acknowledge the need for transparency when governments use algorithms…
This is a very promising step toward solving a very real problem. From racist coding to discriminatory AI, this is a topic that is creeping into the national conversation. We hope others will follow in New York’s footsteps and find ways to prevent this injustice from going further.
Patrick Roland, December 27, 2017
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