Algorithms are powerful programs that increasingly influence an individual's world view. Their ubiquitous use may explain our growing political polarity, our growing knowledge gap in current affairs and even why our neighbors seem radicalized. But for impressionable or vulnerable individuals the impacts can be devastating.
Dylann Foot Roof is a case in point. You will recall he was a 21-year-old white male who killed nine people in a 2015 massacre at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Authorities found his manifesto that showed he was involved in white nationalist websites on the internet for about three years. A recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center details how Google search-engine algorithms served a key part in radicalizing this young man who grew up in an otherwise stable, normal home.
Increasingly, algorithms decide what gets attention and what is ignored; and even what gets published or censored in our search for knowledge on the internet. It is a powerful force with unforeseen consequences at best. Just as easily they can be used for sinister purposes as well if we aren't careful.
The following are excerpts from a report presented by the Center for Internet and Human Rights (CIHR) entitled, Ethic of Algorithms. It serves as a good primer on what these powerful programs are and can do. CIHR promotes academic research about technology and society to inform public and academic debates.
- Algorithms are increasingly used in hiring (and firing), deciding who gets a job and who doesn't. It is among the most powerful gate-keeping function in society.
- Algorithms influence how we perceive the world, often without us realizing it, by channeling our attention.
- Facebook algorithms decide what we see or don't see. Newsfeed algorithm filters content without our knowing why.
- Facebook won't say how the algorithm works, It's proprietary. Without knowing the exact code, nobody can evaluate how your newsfeed is composed.
- Complex algorithms are incomprehensible to outsiders but they have values, biases, and potential discrimination built in.
- Without algorithms many applications would be unusable. We need them to cope with the enormous amounts of data. But we must be aware how they work.
- Algorithms are not neutral, but rather they perpetuate the prejudices of their creators.
They must be known to the user.
"Since algorithms make increasingly important decisions about our lives, users need to be informed about them. Knowledge about automated decision-making in everyday services is still very limited among consumers. Raising awareness should be at the heart of the debate about ethics of algorithms."
We are already at the point where regulating computer algorithms is essential for our collective well being, yet most people aren't even aware the threats and problems they pose. I know I wasn't until very recently. I hope this brief blog posting and the links above encourage others to explore this topic further.
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