@silence7@slrpnk.net to Technology@lemmy.worldEnglish • 2 months agoAn Algorithm Told Police She Was Safe. Then Her Husband Killed Her.www.nytimes.comexternal-linkmessage-square83fedilinkarrow-up1499arrow-down118cross-posted to: nyt_gift_articles@sopuli.xyz
arrow-up1481arrow-down1external-linkAn Algorithm Told Police She Was Safe. Then Her Husband Killed Her.www.nytimes.com@silence7@slrpnk.net to Technology@lemmy.worldEnglish • 2 months agomessage-square83fedilinkcross-posted to: nyt_gift_articles@sopuli.xyz
minus-square@Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.comlinkfedilinkEnglish9•2 months agoPedantic Mathematician here. If it failed, then it was a heuristic, rather than an algorithm. Clearly, that’s the most important thing about this post. You’re welcome.
minus-square@silence7@slrpnk.netOPlinkfedilinkEnglish13•2 months agoPretty much anything trying to predict human behavior is a heuristic; people using them as if they’ve got some kind of certainty is a problem.
minus-square@technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.comlinkfedilinkEnglish3•edit-22 months agoWhy not both? A bad algorithm based on bad heuristics? There are many many algorithms that fail at what they’re supposed to do. As a non-condescending “mathematician”, I’m happy to help.
Pedantic Mathematician here.
If it failed, then it was a heuristic, rather than an algorithm.
Clearly, that’s the most important thing about this post.
You’re welcome.
Pretty much anything trying to predict human behavior is a heuristic; people using them as if they’ve got some kind of certainty is a problem.
Yes, exactly.
Why not both? A bad algorithm based on bad heuristics? There are many many algorithms that fail at what they’re supposed to do.
As a non-condescending “mathematician”, I’m happy to help.