Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Book Review: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy (2016). Cathy O'Neil.

Ms. O'Neil, a PhD data scientist, peers behind the curtain of how our automated society uses algorithms based on opaque assumptions and dubious logic to reach conclusions about us in every sphere of our lives, that tend to perpetuate stereotypes, increase unfair discrimination, and undermine the democratic ideal that as individuals, we should all be treated equally under the law.

She explores how this dynamic of biased and opaque algorithms works to our detriment in education, personal finances, job-seeking and employment, voting and health care among other important spheres of our lives. Recommended.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Book Review: Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It (2025). Cory Doctorow.

The title of this book, "Enshittification", became a meme on the Internet shortly after the book was released, and ended up on lis...