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The Tyranny of Algorithmic Authoritarianism

posted by takyon on Sunday May 03 2015, @09:26AM   
from the garbage-in-garbage-out dept.

tt0064177 writes:

Tim O'Reilly has advocated for the idea of algorithmic regulation - reducing the role of people and replacing them with automated systems in order to make goverment policy less biased and more efficient. But the idea has been criticized as utopianism, where actual implementations are likely to make government more opaque and even less responsive to the citizens who have the least say in the operation of society.

Now, as part of New America's annual conference What Drives Innovation Around the Country? Virginia Eubanks has written an essay examining such automation in the cases of pre-crime and welfare fraud. Is it possible to automate away human judgment from the inherently human task of governance and still achieve humane results? Or is inefficiency and waste an unavoidable part of the process?

• Like filling out online forms Like filling out online forms (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 03 2015, @10:51AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 03 2015, @10:51AM (#178087)

  Do you still beat your wife?

  [Yes] [No]

  ERROR MUST SELECT AN ANSWER

  etc.

  Starting Score:	0		points
  Moderation		+3
  Insightful=2, Interesting=1, Total=3
  Extra 'Insightful' Modifier		0
  Total Score:		3

• Re:Like filling out online forms (Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 03 2015, @11:04AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 03 2015, @11:04AM (#178092)

  When was the last time you beat your wife:
  O < 1 day ago
  O < 7 days ago
  O < 1 month ago
  O < 1 year ago
  O >= 1 year ago
  Must select exactly one

  Parent