Who am I to decide when algorithms should make important decisions? - The Boston Globe

The British grading algorithm fit a familiar pattern. Details of these algorithms are rarely made transparent to the public, even to so-called experts. These systems are routinely protected from scrutiny by claims of corporate secrecy and decisions by governments and institutions that limit access and transparency. What is known about them is often what's written by marketing departments and public relations representatives, presented to the public without evidence or verification. In Britain, government officials said the grading algorithm "was meant to make the system more fair," a line that makes good PR but gives us zero information about the suitability of the system for its task, nor even the definition of "fairness" they might be relying on.