Can computers discriminate? Spoiler Alert: Yes – #PublicInterestTech

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The information age has ushered in a wave of automated decision making through tools that aim to eliminate bias. When black-box algorithms — vague systems making complex and relative decisions — are fed data, decisions are made almost entirely without human contact. Have we taken into consideration what the algorithms have been taught? And, that machine learned bias exists?

“If we don’t bring technologists into the public interest fold, I think we’re really looking at a very dangerous world in which technology does exacerbate and exponentially increase inequalities in our society.”  — Kade Crockford, Director of the Tech for Liberty Program at ACLUM

Kade is part of a larger community that wants to see technology serve the greater welfare of society. We call this #PublicInterestTech!