Previously we have written about the problematic relationship between algorithms and law enforcement, specifically what happens when algorithms are supposed to predict crime in advance of it happening (precrime). Today we will briefly mention another case of racism in algorithms by going over a recent scandal, which the social media giant Twitter has already apologised…
Tag: Algorithms
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…
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…
What is the PEX algorithm and why is it important to study it?
This article was originally written by Aisling Tuite in 2017 to discuss and reflect on PEX algorithms, in light of research funding acquired at that time. While HECAT has changed somewhat, the essential points of this article still accurately describe our approach and thinking with respect to PEX, as well as providing a great overview…
HECAT Kickoff Meeting
The Hecat research project was officially launched last month, March 3rd and 4th at the Finnstown Castle Hotel. Hecat is funded under the Horizon 2020 research framework, a research initiative focused on enhancing innovation and fostering interdisciplinarity upon the foundation of European Values. The goal of our project is to develop an ethical algorithmic platform,…