Q: The word “algorithm” seems to have taken on a huge significance in the last few years, in the media discourse about people’s fears of black boxes and manipulation....
A: That’s a great point. Algorithms sound like something mysterious, but they’re not. They’re recipes, with a series of steps to go from an input to an output. It’s very simple, and there is nothing mysterious or malicious about that.
True, assuming the algorithm is open-source. An algorithm you don't have access to is inscrutable, and is every bit as mysterious and caution-worthy as "people's fears of black boxes and manipulation" would rightly indicate.
A: That’s a great point. Algorithms sound like something mysterious, but they’re not. They’re recipes, with a series of steps to go from an input to an output. It’s very simple, and there is nothing mysterious or malicious about that.
True, assuming the algorithm is open-source. An algorithm you don't have access to is inscrutable, and is every bit as mysterious and caution-worthy as "people's fears of black boxes and manipulation" would rightly indicate.