Voices in the Code (2022) [Robinson] [9780871547774] PDF
Preview Voices in the Code (2022) [Robinson] [9780871547774]
VOICES IN THE CODE VOICES IN THE CODE A Story about People, Their Values, and the Algorithm They Made David G. Robinson Russell Sage Foundation New York The Russell Sage Foundation The Russell Sage Foundation, one of the oldest of America’s general purpose foundations, was established in 1907 by Mrs. Margaret Olivia Sage for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States.” The foundation seeks to fulfill this mandate by fostering the development and dissemination of knowledge about the country’s political, social, and economic problems. While the foundation endeavors to assure the accuracy and objectivity of each book it publishes, the conclusions and interpretations in Russell Sage Foundation publications are those of the authors and not of the foundation, its trustees, or its staff. Publication by Russell Sage, therefore, does not imply foundation endorsement. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Michael Jones-Correa, Chair Larry M. Bartels Kathryn Edin Hazel Rose Markus Marianne Bertrand Jason Furman Jennifer Richeson Cathy J. Cohen David Laibson Mario Luis Small Karen S. Cook Jennifer Lee Thomas J. Sugrue Sheldon Danziger David Leonhardt Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Robinson, David G. (Researcher in technology policy), author. Title: Voices in the code : a story about people, their values, and the algorithm they made / by David G. Robinson. Description: New York : Russell Sage Foundation, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “The critical turning points in our lives are often decided by algorithms— rules carried out by software, on a computer. Algorithms determine who gets scarce seats at top public schools. At a bank or an insurance company, an algorithm mines your data to decide whether you’ll get a loan. If you apply for a job at a large employer, an algorithm is increasingly likely to scan your résumé, deciding before any human pays attention whether you’re even worth talking to. In each case, there are deeply human questions at the heart of a job that has been given to a machine. Which of a person’s traits are legitimately related to her job performance and fair game for her potential employer to consider? How should scarce public resources—be they medicine, housing, or a coveted slot at an elite public school—be distributed? Voices in the Code is about choices like these—the ethical trade-offs inside life-altering algorithms—and about how such choices can be made”—Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2022008162 (print) | LCCN 2022008163 (ebook) | ISBN 9780871547774 (paperback) | ISBN 9781610449144 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Algorithms—Social aspects. | Decision making—Data processing. | Computers and civilization. Classification: LCC HM851 .R628 2022 (print) | LCC HM851 (ebook) | DDC 303.48/33—dc23/eng/20220512 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022008162 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022008163 Copyright © 2022 by Russell Sage Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Reproduction by the United States Government in whole or in part is permit- ted for any purpose. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. ANSI Z39.48-1992. Text design by Suzanne Nichols. RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION 112 East 64th Street, New York, New York 10065 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For Dad, who taught me that most people, most of the time, are doing the best they can under the circumstances Contents List of Illustrations ix About the Author xi Acknowledgments xiii Chapter 1 The Human Values That Hide in Algorithms 1 Interlude: Dallas, 2007 22 Chapter 2 Democracy on the Drawing Board 26 Chapter 3 A Field of Life and Death 55 Chapter 4 An Algorithm in Focus: The Kidney Allocation System 79 Chapter 5 Conclusion: Ideas for Our Future 110 Notes 135 References 159 Index 181
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