The ethics of algorithms: Mapping the debate

In information societies, operations, decisions and choices previously left to humans are increasingly delegated to algorithms, which may advise, if not decide, about how data should be interpreted and what actions should be taken as a result.1 Examples abound. Profiling and classification algorithms determine how individuals and groups are shaped and managed (Floridi, 2012). Recommendation systems give users directions about when and how to exercise, what to buy, which route to take, and who to contact (Vries, 2010: 81). Data mining algorithms are said to show promise in helping make sense of emerging streams of behavioural data generated by the'Internet of Things' (Portmess and Tower, 2014: 1). Online service providers continue to mediate how information is accessed with personalisation and filtering algorithms (Newell and Marabelli, 2015; Taddeo and Floridi, 2015). Machine learning algorithms automatically identify misleading, biased or inaccurate knowledge at the point of creation (e.g.