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Controlling the Unaccountable Algorithm

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Emily Bell

27/12/2016

BBC Radio 4 - Controlling the Unaccountable Algorithm

Emily Bell asks how we can control the powerful algorithms which shape modern life.

Mathematical algorithms shape the news we consume online and are used to shortlist for jobs, or decide who gets offered a mortgage. So can we control them? Emily Bell investigates.

Algorithms are the powerful mathematical tools which shape so much of modern life, from the news which appears in our timelines to the adverts which pop up on our computer. But with algorithms now assessing CVs for jobs, or mortgage applications, the need to understand what they do, and if necessary challenge them is greater than ever before. So how do we exert legal or democratic control over the Unaccountable Algorithm? Emily Bell investigates.

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