Abstract: Our personal, financial and civic interactions are increasingly digitally mediated, and more and more objects come embedded with chips and sensors. As a result, a new layer of power has arisen: that of the algorithm. Software-human-constructed, often invisible and progressively pervasive-not only mediates our lives, it is increasingly used to make decisions in a diverse group areas ranging from sociality to employment to health to relationships. While automation's social, political and economic impacts have long been debated, there is now a new layer that requires consideration: algorithms, often aided by big data, now make decisions in subjective realms where there is no right decision, and no anchor with which to judge outcomes. What is good? What is relevant? What is important? Who is right? What is desirable? What is valuable? These questions with philosophical roots that go to beginning of civilization are now turned over to algorithms that bring about a new set of structural biases and issues. This new phase in pervasive computing raises significant questions and challenges, and important areas of research.
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-02-24
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 15
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