The time of algorithms, by Serge Abiteboul and Gilles Dowe
Edition Le Pommier, January 19, 2017
Dince a while, the algorithms are on all languages. And they're worrying.
Trades disappear because of them, governments use them to restrict our freedoms, private companies use them in their cynical calculations. Soon "intelligent algorithms" will enslave us...
Before we subscribe to this pessimistic view, in which we have no say, why don t we take a closer look at the situation? After all, algorithms are creations of the human mind. They are what we wanted them to be.
Algorithms are primarily solutions, but these solutions are not neutral. If they lead to radical transformations in notions of work, property, government, responsibility, privacy and even humanity, then it's up to us to decide which way to tip the balance. To do so, we must stop being subjected to them by trying to understand them. That is how we can be masters of our own destiny.
Serge Abiteboul and Gilles Dowek are both researchers at Inria, the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control. And both of them are keen to explain computer science and help people understand the social issues that arise in the age of algorithms.
