Problems of Lack of Transparency Pervade Issues of Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence

WASHINGTON, November 12, 2019 - The advent of artificial intelligence raises the concern of whether online algorithms harm or help user bias, experts said at a Tuesday Brookings panel. The remarkable lack of transparency is evident in how companies analyze algorithms, said Solon Barocas, information science professor at Cornell University. Before technology became ubiquitous, it was easier for people to recognized blatant discrimination from companies. Now, he said, it's more difficult to detect these signs from an online platform. The reasons creditors provide to customers for adverse decisions, Barocas said, are not entirely useful.