Dr Hannah Fry: We need to be wary of algorithms behind closed doors

Interview Sure, algorithms are insanely useful, but we need to watch we don't become complacent and unable to question them, University College London's Dr Hannah Fry warned in an interview with The Register. Dr Fry is a lecturer in the mathematics of cities at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at UCL, where her research "revolves around the study of complex social and economic systems at various scales, from the individual to the urban, regional and the global, and particularly those with a spatial element." While not engaged in research, however, Dr Fry is quickly becoming one of the UK's favourite mathematicians, known for her work on BBC 4's The Joy of Data, as well as her popular TED talk, 'The Mathematics of Love', which applied statistical and data-scientific models to dating, sex and marriage. Chatting to The Register ahead of DataFest2017, the inaugural week-long data science festival in Edinburgh, Dr Fry said she thought the event was going to be "a lot of fun". It's something people really need to address, and having so many excellent people together in a room at once; it's going to be a great few days." "Data science as a field has exploded over the past five years," because there's "much more access to data now" said Dr Fry, noting that with "sensors, IoT, with us living more of our lives online" there's now "very little that is untouched by data". We "realised a few years ago how much data there was," Dr Fry said. "I think the whole thing is very exciting.