My husband, our #4 Daughter (the amazing Sara Marian), and I were talking the other day, and the conversation came around to intrusive computerization. Algorithms. Charlie complained that an author he was reading said computers–or, rather, algorithms–would know us better than we know ourselves. Charlie said maybe they would, considering how poorly we know ourselves. That maybe the algorithms would be closer to ideal.
And I said that depended on who programmed the algorithms.
That night, I began Kim Stanley Robinson’s latest novel, RED MOON. In the first scene, he had one of his characters make that same point! But none of his characters replied what Charlie replied to me, which I think is one of the greatest lines of all time:
Algorithms tainted with Original Sin.
This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s weekly blog hop, One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner or just like them, follow the link.
MA
Dan Antion
November 28, 2018 at 8:54amThe fact that the algorithms are written by humans does scare me. In addition to that, even the self-learning algorithms begin with a dataset compiled by humans. This can have the effect of sending the algorithm down a specific path. Think putting your kid in public school, private school or in the school of a paramilitary cult.
I don’t usually venture into the land of shameless self-promotion, but I think the post I wrote about this might have been before you and I connected, so – https://nofacilities.com/2014/03/30/the-internet-of-snarky-things/
Marian Allen
November 28, 2018 at 12:52pmThanks for the link to your super post! All this tracking and machine evaluation is counter to the American reinvent yourself philosophy. I can’t believe people are willing to let themselves be pigeonholed, but they are.
Dan Antion
November 28, 2018 at 2:26pmWe happily invite all the robots to collect all the information they want. And then they sell it among themselves until everybody knows everything. It’s sad.