Maybe we need a word for "algorithm with hidden bias". But, please, it shouldn't be "algorithm". Then we'd need a new word for "algorithm".
-
-
Replying to @mattblaze
I hate this conflation of meaning but language is language does. The word has two meanings now.
1 reply 1 retweet 3 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @mattblaze
1, as in heapsort. 2, complex computation used in decision-making in a manner opaque to affected parties. Or something like that.
1 reply 1 retweet 4 likes -
Replying to @zeynep
The problem is that when someone says uses the 2nd meaning, it has the illusion of being precise without actually being so.
2 replies 1 retweet 1 like -
Replying to @mattblaze
The phenomenon is widepread and consequential enough that we needed word for it. This one emerged. Any alternative suggestions?
4 replies 0 retweets 1 like -
Replying to @zeynep
How about qualifying it with what the problem is? e.g., "opaquely biased algorithms"
1 reply 0 retweets 1 like -
Replying to @mattblaze @zeynep
The problem isn't the algorithm part, it's the opaque bias part, and that's where the emphasis should be.
1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes -
Replying to @mattblaze @zeynep
Also, in some cases, the problem may not even be the algorithm itself, but rather the data it was trained with.
1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes -
Replying to @mattblaze
the way it's used now denotes the whole process. I avoided the term for long, and then found can't speak about topic in public.
1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @mattblaze
Yup. Matt, Zeynep is right. The word has shifted meaning in public discourse, just as "hacker" did.
2 replies 0 retweets 3 likes
Yeah. I'd jump on an alternative term, haven't managed to coin one. I'm a linguistic descriptivist. Yet, meh.
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.