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The algorithm just tries to model the world as it actually is, not as it is supposed to be. The algorithm cares nothing about uncomfortable truths. The algorith

The algorithm just tries to model the world as it actually is, not as it is supposed to be. The algorithm cares nothing about uncomfortable truths. The algorithm should not be set up and trained to reflect a wrong model of reality, but rather you should consider if you want to use an algorithm based on reality or one based on how you want the world to be.

Joof 10y ago
Fair enough. In many cases we would prefer to model it how we want the world to be in order to overcome human misconceptions that have caused the world to be as it is currently.
- prodigal_erik 10y ago
  Society would have to compensate me for turning a blind eye to today's reality, because otherwise I'm giving myself a competitive disadvantage vs. people with accurate tools.
cortesoft 10y ago
It really depends on what your algorithm is determining.
dwaltrip 10y ago
Yes, I'm glad we are in agreement. We shouldn't limit ourselves to current state of the world. We should design systems that help us get closer to an improved world.
beat 10y ago
This isn't hard to understand. Suppose crime is equal in two neighborhoods, but the police patrol one neighborhood 500% more than the other. What would the result of the algorithm be? Five times more arrests in one neighborhood than another. Now, take that model and apply a really crude analysis. You would conclude that there is five times more crime in the more heavily patrolled neighborhood. Your algorithm, applied to policy, suggests that crime could be controlled better by patrolling the "bad" neighborhood ten times as much, rather than five times as much. Now, consider the social result. The "high crime neighborhood" then sees its property values drop, and more homes sold into the rental market. This attracts poorer, rougher people who can't afford the "good" neighborhood. Now crime actually goes up, reinforcing the idea that the bad neighborhood is high-crime. Now, imagine we've been doing this to those two neighborhoods for generations. What are the likely results of your algorithm? There's your uncomfortable truth.

Joof 10y ago

Fair enough. In many cases we would prefer to model it how we want the world to be in order to overcome human misconceptions that have caused the world to be as it is currently.

prodigal_erik 10y ago
Society would have to compensate me for turning a blind eye to today's reality, because otherwise I'm giving myself a competitive disadvantage vs. people with accurate tools.

cortesoft 10y ago

It really depends on what your algorithm is determining.

dwaltrip 10y ago

Yes, I'm glad we are in agreement. We shouldn't limit ourselves to current state of the world. We should design systems that help us get closer to an improved world.

beat 10y ago

This isn't hard to understand. Suppose crime is equal in two neighborhoods, but the police patrol one neighborhood 500% more than the other. What would the result of the algorithm be? Five times more arrests in one neighborhood than another. Now, take that model and apply a really crude analysis. You would conclude that there is five times more crime in the more heavily patrolled neighborhood. Your algorithm, applied to policy, suggests that crime could be controlled better by patrolling the "bad" neighborhood ten times as much, rather than five times as much. Now, consider the social result. The "high crime neighborhood" then sees its property values drop, and more homes sold into the rental market. This attracts poorer, rougher people who can't afford the "good" neighborhood. Now crime actually goes up, reinforcing the idea that the bad neighborhood is high-crime. Now, imagine we've been doing this to those two neighborhoods for generations. What are the likely results of your algorithm? There's your uncomfortable truth.