What We Know About the Computer Formulas Making Decisions in Your Life

Software formulas influence far more than your Google search results or Facebook newsfeed. Sophisticated algorithms are now being used to make decisions in everything from criminal justice to education. But when big data uses bad data, discrimination can result. Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez recently called for “algorithmic transparency,” since algorithms can contain “embedded assumptions that lead to adverse impacts that reinforce inequality.” Here are a few good stories that have contributed to our understanding of this relatively new field.