Algorithms
Accountability for algorithms
Sometimes it is hard to remember that law goes on being made during pandemics, just as it does during wars and in economic crises. The laws made now whilst we battle with the ethical and economic impact of possible further lock-downs and social distancing measures, is intended to regulate future activities, even if we can’t […]
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When automated decisions fail
Managers are increasingly reliant on computer software and algorithms when assessing the performance of their staff. This is the case both in traditional forms of employment where there is a clear employer-employee relationship, and with gig economy arrangements which muddy the water by attempting (sometimes unsuccessfully) to classify staff as self-employed contractors. One of the […]
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Mutant algorithms: who is to blame?
Most would agree that it has been a year that feels like it was drawn from the storyline of a particularly lurid B-movie. Even by those standards, though, the comment “I am afraid your grades were almost derailed by a mutant algorithm” was one that stood out, painting a picture of Britain’s youth falling victim […]
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Understanding algorithms
On Urban Dictionary “algorithm” is defined as “a word used by programmers when they don’t want to explain what they did.” As the pace of practical AI adoption increases, there is increasing truth in the joke. Someone who wants to understand this new technology, how it works and how it might be controlled or improved […]
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Algorithms in law
Algorithms as artificial persons In Algorithms and the Law, a paper by Jeremy Barnett, Adriano Soares Koshiyama and Philip Treleaven, the authors discuss the emergence of algorithms as artificial persons and the need to formally regulate them. It aims to start discussion in the legal profession regarding the legal impact of algorithms on companies, software […]
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