So, what is an algorithm, let alone the algorithm? Very simply, an algorithm is a set of instructions to perform or do a specific task. Think of it like a recipe. When people talk about the algorithm (like I will be doing in this section) they are referring to a data set, the set of data that an algorithm has collected.
Cathy O’Neill (Author & Data Scientist) Explains an Algorithm
VPROinternational, & Kieft, M. (2018, October 26). Algorithms Rule Us All - VPRO Documentary - 2018. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020,
Meike Zehlike (Data Scientist): Bias Was Always in the Data
VPROinternational, & Kieft, M. (2018, October 26). Algorithms Rule Us All - VPRO Documentary - 2018. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020,
As it was described to me, think of it like a baby brain that is set loose on the internet and is allowed to run free (thanks Jason, for this fantastic imagery) and collect information. That brain learns from the information that it collects, and over time it picks up the characteristics from its surroundings.
This idea is also at the center of a much-contested debate: Is technology neutral? Neutral meaning, is it really as impartial or unbiased as we think it is? If this brain that started out free of input becomes racist because of what it learns on the internet, is the technology neutral?
Does it start with the racial bias of the programmer? Or the lack of diversity in those programming it? Is it already starting out with some sort of bias before it goes out into the world? Then the issue lies with the developers, or businesses creating the algorithms. Or…
Does the issue lie with the data it learns from its surroundings? Is it just an innocent child and no different than nature versus nurture? In this case, the parents are the whole of the internet, the world, you and I. We become just as responsible for its racism, it’s bias, and ultimately Skynet.
Or is it somewhere in between?
First, we must take a deeper look at what the algorithm is, and what role it plays in our lives.
There are two main ways that the algorithm is used in our daily lives. The first one I will look at is automation (IBM), this is where the process of what was normally done by humans, is now mostly done by technology.
Automation in Our Lives
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Automation impacts almost every sector of our lives. With the ease of how this technology integrates into the workplace, we need to ask:
How does automation impact the work force?
Are jobs created at the same rate by which they are replaced by machines, robots, & automated services?
What kinds of jobs are at risk of automation, and who does this imply higher risk of job loss?
What impact is it having on the economy?
Harry Cripps (UAW President): Automation means Job Loss
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Molly Kinder: Women at Higher Risk for Job loss due to Automation.
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Jerry Kaplan: Automation is Driving force for Inequality
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Unfortunately, labor force disruption is a very real side effect of the efficiency of automated systems (Berkenfeld). It is critical that consideration be given to how we replace jobs and workforce that is lost. These disruptions have long-term effects and health risks that are more far-reaching than unemployment and ranging from higher risk of cardiovascular disease to intergenerational impacts such as how children perform academically (Wornell).
Steven Berkenfeld: Businesses look for Efficiency & Efficiency Means Job Loss
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Nicholas Thompson: Labor Force Disruption Like We’ve Never Seen
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Emily Wornell: Health Risks & Long Term Effects of Automation Related Jobs Loss
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Artificial Intelligence
The other way algorithms are used in our lives is called AI, or artificial intelligence. This, as you can see, already has far-reaching impacts. When people think of AI, we tend to think of science fiction movies, but AI is much more practical, and in some cases much more nefarious than our science fiction wonderland.
Remember that baby brain I talked about before? That's what I'm talking about here, I'm talking about a program that is making predictions based on a collection of data, and learning while it does this. When we interact with technology, we leave behind traces of information, what some refer to as a Data Cloud, and that information tells the AI a lot of information about us.
So, what sort of data is AI collecting? EVERYTHING.
What can it learn from all the data it's collecting? ANYTHING.
With that kind of information, what can AI predict about us?
Pedro Dominguez: The Data Cloud & Adapting Your World
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Michal Kosinski: Data Points, Predictions & Personality
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Brian Dalessandro: Behavior Predictions & Behavior Trails
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Roger McNamee & Amy Webb: Smart Appliances
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
Smart Appliances like Alexa and Google Home are collecting more and more intimate data on us (McNamee and Webb). This data collection can have real-world consequences and impacts on things like applying for a bank loan (Ke). We don’t know what data is being collected, or how that data is being interpreted. We don’t know how that data is being used, & private companies don’t have to tell us.
Jiao Ke: Banks, Loans & Your Cell Phone Battery
PBSfrontline. (2019, December 02). In the Age of AI (full film) | FRONTLINE. Retrieved from YouTube on December 02, 2020.
In our ever-changing worlds, more of our lives are being spent online. What does this mean for our information, and the data being collected?
What is happening with all this data?
Who owns the data, do we own what we put out, or is it owned by the platform we use?
What does privacy mean in a world where we put our lives online to be seen?
What effects does social media have on all of this?