Should algorithms replace bureaucrats? Some hope that automated decisions will make public administration more efficient and fair. But they can also pose a threat to our privacy, freedom of expression and protection from discrimination.
The Council of Europe has set up a new Committee of experts on Internet Intermediaries (MSI-NET). Ben Wagner, Director of CIHR, has been appointed as a member of this Committee.
The 2015 Volkswagen emission scandal is a recent example of the power and challenges of algorithmic regulation. Volkswagen used software to manipulate the emissions of cars, and public regulators were unable to access the source code of this software.
Why do algorithms raise ethical concerns? Because they keep information away from us, make subjective decisions and – most importantly – we don’t always know how they work. CIHR put together a publication which summarises key issues of the Ethics of Algorithms debates.
Our everyday life is shaped by computers and our computers are shaped by algorithms. Digital computation is constantly changing how we communicate, work, move, and learn. In short, digitally connected computers are changing how we live our lives. This revolution is unlikely to stop any time soon.
The Centre for Internet and Human Rights will be participating in the Global Conference on Cyberspace in The Hague on April 16-17, 2015.
Algorithms are increasingly used to make decisions for us, about us, or with us. From areas of life that did not exist more than a decade ago, like online search or social media news areas, to fields where decisions used to be made exclusively via human judgement.
The exchanges initiated during the Ethics of Algorithms event in Berlin helped to deepen our understanding of the way algorithms govern our lives now and refine questions for future research.
At the beginning of March, the CIHR will bring together leading experts from academia, technology and civil society to discuss the ethical dimensions of algorithms. The event will be hosted by the Technical University of Berlin.
The past months have witnessed a major uncovering of US and other countries generalized surveillance. These information, along with already known massive (mis)-usage of users privacy for commercial purposes and the increasing application of automated algorithms for controlling ever larger part of fundamental rights, present major challenges.
