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We Need an FDA For Algorithms

posted by Fnord666 on Monday November 19 2018, @07:42AM   Printer-friendly
from the who-watches-the-watchers dept.

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

We Need an FDA For Algorithms

In the introduction to her new book, Hannah Fry points out something interesting about the phrase "Hello World." It's never been quite clear, she says, whether the phrase—which is frequently the entire output of a student's first computer program—is supposed to be attributed to the program, awakening for the first time, or to the programmer, announcing their triumphant first creation.

Perhaps for this reason, "Hello World" calls to mind a dialogue between human and machine, one which has never been more relevant than it is today. Her book, called Hello World, published in September, walks us through a rapidly computerizing world. Fry is both optimistic and excited—along with her Ph.D. students at the University of College, London, she has worked on many algorithms herself—and cautious. In conversation and in her book, she issues a call to arms: We need to make algorithms transparent, regulated, and forgiving of the flawed creatures that converse with them.

I reached her by telephone while she was on a book tour in New York City.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Monday November 19 2018, @10:08AM (6 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday November 19 2018, @10:08AM (#763836) Journal

    What is this "fda" going to do?

    TFS:

    make algorithms transparent, regulated, and forgiving of the flawed creatures that converse with them

    The other way around, i.e. to protect the algos from the flawed creatures that converse with them, then we'd need an EPA for algorithms.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
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  • (Score: 2) by driverless on Monday November 19 2018, @10:26AM (2 children)

    by driverless (4770) on Monday November 19 2018, @10:26AM (#763837)

    make algorithms transparent, regulated, and forgiving of the flawed creatures that converse with them

    What about the pony? Shouldn't there be a pony in there as well? A pink one, with big sad eyes, and possibly wings. And glitter on its hooves.

    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Monday November 19 2018, @02:16PM (1 child)

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Monday November 19 2018, @02:16PM (#763871) Journal
      Add a pearly white horn that spews rainbows on demand and I'm on board with this plan.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 19 2018, @05:23PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 19 2018, @05:23PM (#763932)

        I can only throw in my support if we also have a plank for good dental hygiene, including a law requiring people to brush their teeth.

  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 19 2018, @10:33AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 19 2018, @10:33AM (#763839)

    Yea, I read that but its nonsense. What exactly are they going to do? Also I skimmed that story and she says her favorite algo is "geoprofiling", so I dont think she knows much about algorithms.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by DeathMonkey on Monday November 19 2018, @06:42PM

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Monday November 19 2018, @06:42PM (#763957) Journal

      What exactly are they going to do?

      More specifically, what are they going to do that NIST doesn't do already?

  • (Score: 2) by suburbanitemediocrity on Tuesday November 20 2018, @02:30AM

    by suburbanitemediocrity (6844) on Tuesday November 20 2018, @02:30AM (#764118)

    Department of Algorithms