Yannick Trapman-O'Brien
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Reading Excerpt: A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence
🕑 Added 2022-02-01 03:30:05 +0000 UTC
This month I read "A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence," by Kartik Hosanagar, and I enjoyed it even more than I expected.
Take a listen for a few choice excerpts. You'll find two images or texts referenced in the selections below, marked [1] and [3] for the excerpt they correspond to.
[1]
[3]
You can also find the "Algorithmic Bill of Rights" I mentioned published at this link. The four main pillars Hosanagar proposes are:
- First, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have a right to a description of the data used to train them and details as to how that data was collected.
- Second, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have a right to an explanation regarding the procedures used by the algorithms, expressed in terms simple enough for the average person to easily access and interpret. These first two pillars are both related to the general principle of transparency.
- Third, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have some level of control over the way those algorithms work–that is, there should always be a feedback loop between the user and the algorithm.
- Fourth, those who use algorithms or who are impacted by decisions made by algorithms should have the responsibility to be aware of the unanticipated consequences of automated decision making.
I really connect to the way Hosanagar imagines a shared responsibility between users and designers. If any of this sparked something for you, I encourage you to pick up a copy. Just know, whether you grab it from the library or buy it online, it may affect the next book recommendation the algorithms make for you.
Best wishes,
Yannick
Comments
Yannick Trapman-O'Brien
Glad to hear it! One of the threads from this book is all about the different ways of solving the task of "automated recommendation." It's very interesting to me to learn about the different kinds of values being expressed by different systems as they try to find the next "perfect pick" for you. I find that non-optimized "random" chance somehow manages to create more serendipity over time.
Lisa Springle
I wasn’t sure I would be interested in this topic, to be honest, but by the end of your reading, I was absolutely riveted. At my last session with the Telelibrary, I realized how much I enjoy being read to, especially when I have no idea what I am going to hear. So much of my audio life is curated by my predictable interests. So I love these monthly readings on random topics. And if they give me a peek into your creative process, all the better. Thanks for these!
