Online ethics book club: The Ethical Algorithm

Thursday 15 April 2021 | 18:00 - 19:00 | Webinar

Please note, you will be required to read the book prior to the event.

The Ethics book club is your opportunity to debate meaty ethical dilemmas with your investment industry peers.

A copy of The Ethical Algorithm can be purchased here.

This book is focused on ethical algorithm design written by two authors who are both career researchers in theoretical computer science. Many of the ethical challenges created by algorithms are not new. The authors offer a set of principled solutions to address these age-old ethical challenges by embedding human principles into the machine code.
The Ethical Algorithm takes us through a number of topics: from the bias within statistical models impacting loan approvals, to the manipulation of algorithms by users for their own benefit.

This is an interesting read with many potential discussion topics. Some of these include:
• Are there decisions that algorithms shouldn’t make?
• When should algorithms be designed with the benefit of society in mind, and when should algorithms be designed with their user in mind?
• Do corporations have a duty to interpret and understand how their AI is making decisions to ensure that decisions are being made with fairness considerations in mind?
• The authors argue that “the solution to the problems introduced by algorithmic decision-making should itself be in large part algorithmic”. Do you agree?

Timings and format:

18:00: Welcome and session overview
18:10: Book overview
18:15: Group discussion around questions
18:45: General Q&A
19:00: End of session
Zoom login details will be sent to you via email the day before the event.

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