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Two comments so far saying how it's not the fault of the algorithms. Huh. Expert systems are given the role of, well, experts: Their authority is not to be co

Two comments so far saying how it's not the fault of the algorithms. Huh. Expert systems are given the role of, well, experts: Their authority is not to be countered by the folks "just doing their jobs". Blaming the "bureaucracy" is wrong-headed, quixotic, and idiotic. The blame lies with the senior policy makers and politicians who wash their hands of due process and avenues of appeal, based on their choice of "expert systems" that cannot be possibly be confounded. The person who told the driver it was their responsibility to clear their own name could be fired for saying otherwise. Nameless bureaucracy isn't to blame, executives and politicians with real names are. Let's direct the discussion where it needs to go, shall we?

notacoward 12y ago
You're absolutely right. I just knew some people would respond by saying we shouldn't blame the tools, and in a narrow sense they're right. However, that doesn't detract from the point that some of these shiny new toys are pretty darn dangerous. We have a responsibility to understand and mitigate those dangers, not merely deploy tools that we barely understand with consequences we understand even less. Training, safeguards, and oversight are necessary. Failing to check the results from the latest bit of Hadoopery is the data equivalent of leaving sharp power tools on a children's playground. "It's not the tools' fault" is incomplete and misleading.
- michaelchisari 12y ago
  > I just knew some people would respond by saying we shouldn't blame the tools Usually, I'm saying the same thing when it comes to misapplications of science or technology. However, when the "tools" are making our decisions for us, I think we can safely blame the tools themselves. At least in the sense that the tools might need to be re-engineered.
tobylane 12y ago
It depends what you mean by expert systems. I hear the phrase decision support software much more, which is clear in its place. There should be a human in the way where the results are major.

notacoward 12y ago

You're absolutely right. I just knew some people would respond by saying we shouldn't blame the tools, and in a narrow sense they're right. However, that doesn't detract from the point that some of these shiny new toys are pretty darn dangerous. We have a responsibility to understand and mitigate those dangers, not merely deploy tools that we barely understand with consequences we understand even less. Training, safeguards, and oversight are necessary. Failing to check the results from the latest bit of Hadoopery is the data equivalent of leaving sharp power tools on a children's playground. "It's not the tools' fault" is incomplete and misleading.

michaelchisari 12y ago
> I just knew some people would respond by saying we shouldn't blame the tools Usually, I'm saying the same thing when it comes to misapplications of science or technology. However, when the "tools" are making our decisions for us, I think we can safely blame the tools themselves. At least in the sense that the tools might need to be re-engineered.

tobylane 12y ago

It depends what you mean by expert systems. I hear the phrase decision support software much more, which is clear in its place. There should be a human in the way where the results are major.