Algorithms in an Imperfect World
Overview
In this module, students consider how social problems like homelessness and inequality differ from the sorts of problems they have learned to solve with algorithms. Students are introduced to the concept of a wicked problem, as well as various interpretations of inequality/inequity, and explore how candidate recommendation systems could be built to promote equity in hiring.
Contributors
- Ethics materials by Kathleen Creel, Diana Acosta-Navas, Benjamin Xie, Daniel Webber, Ece Korkmaz, Ananya Karthik, and Ricky Parada.
Ethics goals
- Understanding how social problems differ from the idealized, abstract problems used to teach algorithms, and thinking about how algorithms can and cannot be used to mitigate these problems.