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Suppose we lived in an alternate universe where personality characteristics could be inferred (with statistical confidence) from skull bumps (i.e. a world where

Suppose we lived in an alternate universe where personality characteristics could be inferred (with statistical confidence) from skull bumps (i.e. a world where phrenology worked): in such a world, you could argue that it would be unfair to disadvantage an individual based on his specific skull bumps. Those bumps aren't dispositive in individual cases. At the same time, it'd be wrong (again, in our pretend universe) to ban noticing the statistical connection between skull bump and personality, because that'd just be a fact about how our alternate universe worked, and censoring facts is always wrong. Back in our world: I don't believe in demonizing technologies because of what people might do with them. Facial recognition works, at least for identification of individuals. I cannot get on board with mandating denial of this fact for the sake of fear of bad policy based on this fact. It never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever acceptable to ban people noticing true facts about how the world works.

TchoBeer 5y ago
We wouldn't ban noticing the statistical connection, but we might ban using it in court cases and hiring decisions.
spywaregorilla 5y ago
> I don't believe in demonizing technologies because of what people might do with them. What about demonizing technologies because of what people do with them, all the time, in positions of power? > Facial recognition works, at least for identification of individuals. I cannot get on board with mandating denial of this fact for the sake of fear of bad policy based on this fact. That's not really what this article is about, the article is just poorly titled. > It never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever acceptable to ban people noticing true facts about how the world works. That's fine. In this case you should have no issue that I've noticed people who say stuff like this tend to harbor supremacist ideals.

TchoBeer 5y ago

We wouldn't ban noticing the statistical connection, but we might ban using it in court cases and hiring decisions.

spywaregorilla 5y ago

> I don't believe in demonizing technologies because of what people might do with them. What about demonizing technologies because of what people do with them, all the time, in positions of power? > Facial recognition works, at least for identification of individuals. I cannot get on board with mandating denial of this fact for the sake of fear of bad policy based on this fact. That's not really what this article is about, the article is just poorly titled. > It never, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever acceptable to ban people noticing true facts about how the world works. That's fine. In this case you should have no issue that I've noticed people who say stuff like this tend to harbor supremacist ideals.