18 Things, #17: Government proposals on algorithmic transparency laws
Algorithms increasingly govern our lives, often in ways we can’t quite see. There’s a growing concern about the impact of these algorithms, and a growing desire to be able to see and understand them. So in 2018 expect to see initial proposals (likely from the EU) on the introduction of algorithmic transparency laws.
Only a few years ago, trolley problems were a niche topic amongst ethicists, economists, and philosophers. In 2017, they’re the topic of Atlantic think-pieces, and New Yorker cartoons. Trolley problem discussions represent our increasing unease about decisions made by technology that are out of our hands, and now out of our view.
It’s human nature to imagine how things go wrong. But it’s not the self-driving cars that we should be concerned about. Algorithms are silently and invisibly defining the media we consume, the medical treatment we receive, the education we get, and the time we spend in prison (if that’s your thing).
Many believe we’ve already gone too far, and the time for some type of accountability and transparency for tech-companies was yesterday. The Algorithmic Justice League is fighting algo-bias today, author Steve Sammartino thinks we should label algorithms like we label food, and tech-godfather Tim O’Reilly believes “we’ve already had our Skynet moment”. Personally I’m with them, this is one prediction that needs to come true.
Confidence: 70%
18 Things is a slightly different take on the usual “Annual Predictions” posts. For the next 18 days I’ll post one thing per day I believe might happen in 2018, with a brief overview of why. Each will also have a confidence level (an idea nicked from Scott Alexander), so I can come back at the end of the year and see how I went.
I’ve mostly stuck to my circle of competence, but please don’t read in to anything too much, and definitely don’t go betting your house on any of these. You can read previous posts here, or if you’re impatient, I’ll be posting these in 3 parts over at Blonde3.com.