The Era of Blind Faith in Big Data Must End

1. What are algorithms, according to O’Neil? What do you need to build algorithms? How does O’Neil explain that everyone uses algorithms every single day, just not with written code? -​ ​Algorithms are opinions embedded in code.

2. O’Neil says “an algorithm designed badly can go on for a long time, silently wreaking havoc.” What does she mean by this? Explain how she illustrates this with a hypothetical hiring algorithm for Fox News.

3. What is data laundering? Why do you think O’Neil coined the term ‘weapons of math destruction’ for these algorithms?

4. Why is it important to consider the bias of algorithms? How can we check algorithms for fairness? Describe what O’Neil calls an algorithmic audit.