Re:Algorithms Are Great and All, but They Can Also Ruin Lives
by gwern on Wednesday November 19, 2014 @05:40PM
(#8633158)
> (1) Grease the wheels significantly (allowing these decisions kinds of humiliations to occur much more quickly, and in greater bulk);
None of the stories show that. For example, the health one could have happened just as easily in a paper bureaucracy - that's the magic of 'opt in' vs 'opt out'. Just declare invalid all health insurances which are not explicitly renewed. No computer necessary.
> (2) Enable "action at a distance",
What, like paperwork doesn't enable that?
> (3) And they add a patina of (false) respectability
The flagged problems have more to do with no staff and the bureaucracies being self-serving in refusing to review complaints and whatnot, they don't have to do with regular people going 'well, the machine said it, so it must be true!'
None of the stories show that. For example, the health one could have happened just as easily in a paper bureaucracy - that's the magic of 'opt in' vs 'opt out'. Just declare invalid all health insurances which are not explicitly renewed. No computer necessary.
> (2) Enable "action at a distance",
What, like paperwork doesn't enable that?
> (3) And they add a patina of (false) respectability
The flagged problems have more to do with no staff and the bureaucracies being self-serving in refusing to review complaints and whatnot, they don't have to do with regular people going 'well, the machine said it, so it must be true!'