When Algorithms Come for Our Children

Consider the tragedy of a child killed by neglect and abuse. Now consider the tragedy of a child taken from parents who would not have criminally abused her. Computer algorithms might soon help humans make such difficult decisions -- but only if we recognize the myriad ways in which they can go wrong. In countless cities across the nation, child welfare services make extremely tough calls every day. With limited resources and information, they must often rely on gut instinct in predicting who is most vulnerable.