A uBlock Origin update was rejected from the Chrome Web Store

Re:A uBlock Origin update was rejected from the Chrome Web S... by ethbro on Sunday October 13, 2019 @06:42PM (#21243729)

I wouldn't be able to guarantee "capital" (i.e. people with access to large amounts of it) are smart enough to understand the outcomes of sufficiently complex systems.

I think the mortgage derivative swaps crisis taught us that. Powerful fools are still fools, and there's nothing about the system as-is that prevents some fools from becoming powerful.

In that sense, it's entirely possible we have bad outcomes from automated systems created by people who don't understand them. And that's the ambivalent case.

The actively evil case is: "How much would I have to pay you to design an unethical automated system?"

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Re:A uBlock Origin update was rejected from the Chrome Web S... by anoncake on Monday October 14, 2019 @07:15AM (#21247027)

You're right, active evilness is not the only case or necessarily the bigger problem. Not knowing what you're doing doesn't mean you aren't acting unethically though when you risk others' welfare for your own gain.

But actions your automated systems are still your actions, regardless of intentions and outcomes. If we hold people responsible for negligently causing damage, we should also hold them responsible for negligently causing damage using an automated system. And of course, we should positive outcomes a system causes to the people behind it as well.

[ Parent | on HN ]