top hat things sis Flashcards
The reading identifies which of the following categories of algorithmic harms (2)
Representational, Allocative
According to the [assigned NYT] article, why do states use risk assessment algorithms in criminal sentencing?
States want to eliminate bias in sentencing
With help from an outside contractor, Ohio’s Department of Education uses automated systems to grade the results of its mandatory state tests for students beginning in third grade through high school. Even written essays are graded using algorithms. This system presents opportunities for which kind of harm?
Allocative
Researchers studying Google search results found that searches for “doctor” returned mostly images of men. This system presents opportunities for which kind of harm?
Representational
True or False: An engineer (quoted in Friedman) compared using computers in the 1950s to consulting a Greek oracle. This is because you had to wait your turn, approach with reverence, and wait for a response.
True
VisiCalc, the “killer app” for the Apple II, was ____ software.
spreadsheet
Do you feel like social media lives up to expectations around open communication? Is it a “crucible of creativity” and free expression?
it depends
The book argues that the internet centralizes less power among certain gatekeepers. Who are these gatekeepers?
People in the media sector who have traditionally decided which messages get circulated
According to today’s reading, what was the mysterious trend with Facebook’s Messenger’s “voice” feature that the company’s staff discovered, but couldn’t initially explain?
Half of the world’s audio traffic was coming from a single country: Cambodia
Which of the following does the article cite as a problem that arises from Cambodians relying on voice texts over written texts?
- disinformation can spread more easily on Facebook because it’s harder for content moderation tools to detect it in audio recordings
- some worry that Cambodians are losing familiarity with the Khmer script as they’re pressured to write in the Latin script
- with inability to search their chat history users have difficulty retrieving information from past conversations
all of the above
According to the authors, are tech companies like Facebook working to rectify global inequalities of design and develop more culturally-responsive tools for countries like Cambodia?
no
How does the reading from Brogan define an algorithm?
A set of guidelines that describe how to perform a task
According to the New York Times article, what is the “ultimate goal” of the TikTok video feed algorithm?
To attract and retain users
