Assignment 5: Algorithmic Bias

Some examples where we see algorithmic bias around us can be in facial recognition programs and search engine results. Even our targeted social media advertisements. I have heard of some of the examples mentioned in Joy Buolamwini's How I'm fighting bias in algorithms Ted talk. I didn't realize think the scale as to which it impacts our daily lives. My perception of computers isn't that they are infallible but the concept of a programmers' unconscious biases being passed on to the end-user. The concept never occurred to me, I thought of computers and algorithms as objective. We can use our awareness of these bias issues to improve current algorithms by opening up beta testing to larger more diverse groups of people.