Previously we have written about how algorithms can be classist, today we will consider the curious case of Pasco, Florida to reflect on the ways in which algorithms can be racist. In 1956 US author Phillip K. Dick published a science fiction novella called The Minority Report, set in an unspecified time in the future….
Blog
ESPANet Online Seminar Details
On September 3rd espanet (the European Network for Social Policy Analysis) is hosting a series of online seminars for PhD students to network and present their research. See the details below. Combined Streams 3-4: Big data and digitalisation in social and employment services Conveners: Minna van Gerven (University of Helsinki, Finland), Janine Leschke (Copenhagen Business…
Computer says no: can algorithms be fair?
Yesterday Open Democracy held a live discussion on the broad topic of whether algorithms can be fair. This was in the context of the A-level results fiasco which you can read more about here. The discussion was highly informative and got into many of the nitty gritty ethical issues of algorithms, such as whose interests…
The Ethics of Algorithms: Classism
Algorithms are seductive because they implicitly suggest that their results are free from human judgement or bias. In our project we believe that these assumptions must be challenged. Algorithms are a remarkable piece of technology, but they have the power to do great harm if not used ethically and responsibly. A recent case in the…
New Deliverable: Report on Commonly Used Algorithms and their Performance
Good morning all, today our project has reached another milestone by sending another deliverable to the EU. As Hecat intends to build a more ethical algorithm, it is essential that we understand and critique what already exists. This report exists to inform us of the approaches which have already been taken in the algorithm arena,…
This Week in HECAT
This has been a very productive week for the HECAT project, with several important deadlines hit. We wanted to take a moment and update all of you. We would like to thank our partners in Sciences Po (France) for submitting their deliverable on the User Vision Statement of our project. This is a public document…
An Informal Chat
Today our project met to have a coffee meeting, but via zoom call. At this difficult time, it is more important than ever to maintain our social bonds and make a special effort to reach out and discuss our work. Up until now our work package leaders had been meeting once a month to talk…
Job Announcement: Project Manager Role
Job Overview: We are currently seeking a FULL TIME or PART TIME EU PROJECT MANAGER to join the School of Business at Waterford Institute of Technology. WIT is currently coordinating the EU funded H2020 project, HECAT, in association with nine other consortium members from Denmark, France, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. This research funded under H2020…
MiDAS: A Cautionary Tale
One of HECAT’s core guiding principles is our commitment to developing an algorithm that is ethical and that has no strings attached. We intend for use of our algorithm to be entirely voluntary, and there are many cautionary tales in the world of data science that tell us why this is important. MiDAS was Michigan’s…
A meeting, big data, and the new normal of life and work
Earlier this week the HECAT Work Package leads met for our regularly scheduled monthly meeting. This time we were primarily discussing a number of different deliverables which are due in the coming months, which brought out some interesting tangential discussions. During this meeting we also had a chance to discuss the ethics of using so-called…