Algorithms learn from us, and we've been bad parents

Until a few years ago, computers couldn't tell the difference between images of dogs and ones of cats. Today, computer programs use machine-learning algorithms to study piles of data and learn about the world and its people. Algorithms can tell a banker whether someone will pay back a loan. They can pick the right applicant out of thousands of resumes. They assist judges to determine a prisoner's risk of returning to a life of crime.