"The algorithm made me do it” Ethical Challenges for Machine Learning | WVTF

"The Facebook fiasco is calling attention to an application known as 'machine learning.' That's where computer systems benefit from their experience, and automatically 'improve' their performance going forward. Could the same  be in store for the tech industry?" reports Robbie Harris, WVTF/RADIO IQ New River Valley Bureau Chief. 

Photo: pixabay.com

Behind every web-based system is a hard-working algorithm telling a computer what to do. And for more than a decade, computer scientists who create them have been worrying about, well, exactly what’s happening now with Facebook. They’ve been meeting to discuss how to be introduce concepts like fairness, accountability and transparency into the equation. 

Photo: Bert Huang

Bert Huang is a computer scientist at Virginia Tech, he says, "It is something we’ve been aware of and have been trying to prepare the world for, but it's moving faster than the scientific community can fully control."

He’s been working with colleagues on ways to improve the upside of algorithms, like finding facts or friends fast, and protect the down sides, some of which, he says, are overblown.
Read more... 

Source: WVTF