Challenging & Democratizating Algorithm Development

Algorithm Development is a term that leaves even the most experienced developers intimidated. Many of us have little exposure to algorithm development and many of us have never written algorithms. With how much influence algorithms are gaining over our lives, we must be prepared to ask tough questions: who writes these algorithms and what are the ethical responsibilities? What is our responsibility as end users and developers in relation to the surge of large corporations offering the use of proprietary algorithms?

When we look at algorithm development with a critical eye, we start to notice how deeply impactful the creation of new algorithms are to us as a society. This talk will discuss the ethical & social implications of failures using examples such as computer vision & poor AI training. We'll cover the need for multiple strategies, and their tradeoffs, for accountability through marketplaces, open source, governmental oversight & ombudsmanship.