Algorithms Around Us

Assignment Guidelines

1. Choose one of the news items listed below to work on.

• AI generated text: Hern, A. (February 14, 2019).  New AI fake text generator may be too dangerou s to release, say creators. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/14/elon-musk-backed-ai-writes-convincing-news-fiction (Links to an external site.)
• Character and AI: Hardy, Q. (July 26, 2015). Using Algorithms to Determine Character. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/using-algorithms-to-determine-character/ (Links to an external site.)
• Content Moderation: Fussel, S. (March 21, 2019). Why the New Zealand Shooting Video Keeps Circulating. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/facebook-youtube-new-zealand-tragedy-video/585418/ (Links to an external site.) 
• Dating and AI: Tiffany, K. (March 18, 2019). The Tinder algorithm, explained. Vox. Retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/2019/2/7/18210998/tinder-algorithm-swiping-tips-dating-app-science (Links to an external site.)
• Debate and AI: Samuel, S. (February 12, 2019). An AI system competed against a human debate champion. Here’s what happened. Vox. Retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/2/12/18222392/artificial-intelligence-debate-ibm-san-francisco (Links to an external site.) 
• Driverless cars: Samuel, S. (March 6, 2019). A new study finds a potential risk with self-driving cars: failure to detect dark-skinned pedestrians. Vox. Retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/3/5/18251924/self-driving-car-racial-bias-study-autonomous-vehicle-dark-skin (Links to an external site.)
• Facial recognition: Canon, G. (February 15, 2019). How Taylor Swift showed us the scary future of facial recognition. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/15/how-taylor-swift-showed-us-the-scary-future-of-facial-recognition (Links to an external site.) 
• Gig economy: Ghaffary, S. (February 6, 2019). Gig economy tech companies like Instacart have been accused of tip theft. But the problem is bigger than that. Recode. Retrieved from: https://www.recode.net/2019/2/6/18213872/gig-economy-instacart-tip-theft-contract-workers (Links to an external site.) 
• Human sexuality and AI: Levin, S. (September 8, 2017). New AI can guess whether you’re gay or straight from a photograph. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/07/new-artificial-intelligence-can-tell-whether-youre-gay-or-straight-from-a-photograph (Links to an external site.) 
• Machine learning and civic resources: Madrigal, A. (January 3, 2019). How a Feel-Good AI Story Went Wrong in Flint. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/how-machine-learning-found-flints-lead-pipes/578692/ (Links to an external site.) 
• Medecine and algorithms: Frakt, A. (December 7, 2015). Your New Medical Team: Algorithms and Physicians. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/upshot/your-new-medical-team-algorithms-and-physicians.html (Links to an external site.) 
• Misinformation: Caron, C. (March 7, 2019). Facebook Announces Plan to Curb Vaccine Misinformation. New York Times.Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/07/technology/facebook-anti-vaccine-misinformation.html (Links to an external site.) 
• Predictive policing: Doctorow, C. (February 13, 2019). Beyond GIGO: how “predictive policing” launders racism, corruption and bias to make them seem empirical. Retrieved from: https://boingboing.net/2019/02/13/algorithmo-cop.html (Links to an external site.) 
• Real Estate: Dezember, R. (March 5, 2019). Buyer Beware: Hollywood Special Effects Now Permeate Property Listings. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/home-sellers-doctored… (link to article .pdf)
• Recidivism: Israni, E. (October 26, 2017). When an Algorithm Helps Send You to Prison. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/opinion/algorithm-compas-sentencing-bias.html (Links to an external site.) 
• Retail marketing: Fussell, S. (January 25, 2019). Now Your Groceries See You, Too. The Atlantic. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/walgreens-tests-new-smart-coolers/581248/ (Links to an external site.) 
• Social impact uses of algorithms: Rosenburg, T. (February 12, 2019). Making an App to Make a Difference. New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/opinion/start-ups-apps-social-impact.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage (Links to an external site.) 
• Workplace surveillance: Doctorow, C. (March 6, 2019). From prisons to factories to offices: the spread of workplace surveillance and monitoring tech. Retrieved from: https://boingboing.net/2019/03/06/robo-taylorism.html (Links to an external site.) 

2. Read through the news item carefully and thoroughly, keeping an eye out for evidence related to O’Neil’s three components of “Weapons of Math Destruction” as discussed in chapter one.

3. Research the specific use of algorithmic decision making discussed in the article you selected. Your goal in this research is to provide a full explanation of:

• What is algorithmic decision making and why is it important to understand its use?
• The use of this type of algorithmic decision making tool described and why it is significant.
• How this type of algorithmic decision making would line up with each of O’Neil’s three components (transparency, damage or potential for damage, and scale).

Your research used for your reference guide should include at least six sources of which at least two must be audio or video and at least two must be scholarly sources.  You should also cite O’Neil and the original news article that you worked with, so the minimum number of sources for the assignment is eight and all sources used should be listed in the “Sources” section at the end of the assignment.

All sources used should be credible as assessed by a test such as the CRAAP test and should be cited using APA citations. 

4. Synthesize your research to develop a one page reference guide for readers to have their questions related to the news item answered. Word count for this guide should be approximately 1200-1500 words excluding references.

5. Sources for information on the site must be listed in APA style using both in-line citations as well as full citations for the sources at the bottom of the page in a separate section. See the OWL APA guide (Links to an external site.) for help if needed.

6. Build a one page site with this information using the free “Google Sites” web-based tool. Videos and images should be embedded to clarify or illustrate your points. Design choices for the web page should prioritize clarity of content, specifically ease of reading.

Final created website should be look like this. But before you make the website please tell me!

Because this URL link shows the school address as well, so I want to know if the address can be fixed or not.

https://sites.google.com/scarletmail.rutgers.edu/algorithms-around-us/home

The way how to create the website with using “google sites ” is in the uploaded document.