{"id":8881,"date":"2015-04-27T13:01:22","date_gmt":"2015-04-27T12:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/?p=8881"},"modified":"2021-01-13T10:42:15","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T10:42:15","slug":"algorithms-are-like-invisible-judges-that-decide-our-fates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2015\/04\/27\/algorithms-are-like-invisible-judges-that-decide-our-fates\/","title":{"rendered":"Algorithms are like invisible judges that decide our fates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><i>This worry&#8217;s me, but certainly does not\u00a0surprise\u00a0me. We are all playing a game which where the winners and losers are all ready selected before they have even decided to play. \u00a0I am not comfortable at all with this: though at my time in life its unlikely to effect me directly, \u00a0it is part of a growing trend which ends in exclusion for certain people from what is considered normal society. This is a bad thing<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!-- GUARDIAN WATERMARK --><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2015\/apr\/27\/algorithms-are-like-invisible-judges-that-decide-our-fates\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/image.guardian.co.uk\/sys-images\/Guardian\/Pix\/pictures\/2010\/03\/01\/poweredbyguardianBLACK.png?resize=140%2C45\" alt=\"Powered by Guardian.co.uk\" width=\"140\" height=\"45\" \/>This article titled &#8220;Algorithms are like invisible judges that decide our fates&#8221; was written by Dave Bry, for theguardian.com on Monday 27th April 2015 09.00 UTC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Imagine that you\u2019re a contestant in an audition round of The Voice, where you belt out your best \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d. A minute passes. No reaction from the celebrity judges. You keep singing. Another minute, still no encouraging smile or nod. You strain to hit your highest note, pleading with your performance: \u201cPlease, please accept me! I am doing my best!\u201d The song ends. No one wants you. Your family bow their heads in shame. Your mom cries. You stand on the stage, alone in the spotlight, heartbroken. A trap door opens beneath your feet and you slide screaming into <a href=\"http:\/\/%20https:\/\/twitter.com\/rilaws\/status\/63063716635230210\">Adam Levine\u2019s basement torture maze<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Think that\u2019s bad? In the real world, science has come up with something worse. A company called Jobaline offers \u201cvoice profiling\u201d to predict job success based on how candidates sound; its algorithm identifies and analyzes over one thousand vocal characteristics by which it categorizes job applicants on suitability. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--supporting\">  <span>Related: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/science\/blog\/2015\/apr\/16\/is-your-voice-trustworthy-engaging-or-soothing-to-strangers\">Is your voice trustworthy, engaging or soothing to strangers?<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>It\u2019s horrible and dehumanizing, like all our other profiling (the racial kind is always a big hit!) Reliant on born-in, luck-of-the-genetic-draw factors that we can neither avoid or control. Regardless of mood or intent, <a href=\"http:\/\/%20http:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/alltechconsidered\/2015\/03\/23\/394827451\/now-algorithms-are-deciding-whom-to-hire-based-on-voice\">according<\/a> to NPR\u2019s Aaarti Shehani, \u201cyour voice has a hidden, complicated architecture with an intrinsic signature &#8211; much like a fingerprint\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the only creepy algorithm system HR departments have been employing to help the company bottom line. Companies like Wal-Mart and Credit Suisse have been crunching data to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-algorithm-that-tells-the-boss-who-might-quit-1426287935\">predict<\/a> which employees are \u201cflight risks\u201d who are likely to quit (easily remedied with a simple anklet attaching the worker to his or her cash register or cubicle) vs those deemed \u201csticky,\u201d meaning in-it-for-the-long-haul. The information lets bosses either improve morale or get a head-start on a search for a replacement. <\/p>\n<p>The inventors of such programs often enjoy the impeachable, amoral cloak of scientific legitimacy. When it comes to voice profiling, computers are not judging the speakers themselves; only the reactions the speaker\u2019s voice provokes in other (presumably human) listeners. \u201cThe algorithm functions as a mechanical judge in a voice-based beauty contest\u201d, wrote Chamorro-Premuzic and Adler in The Harvard Business Review. \u201cDesirable voices are invited to the next round, where they are judged by humans, while undesirable voices are eliminated from the contest\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The makers of voice profiling programs tout this as a moral achievement. Human beings bring loads of biases into any evaluation; computers are blissfully unaware of differences in race, gender, sexual preference or age. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of math!\u201d Jobaline CEO Luis Salazar told NPR. \u201cIt\u2019s blind.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The problem is, when applied in a capitalist system already plagued by unfairness and inhumanity, this blindness sounds really, really dangerous. An impersonal computer program gets first say as to who gets to earn money to buy food and who doesn\u2019t, based on an application of a binary code too subtle and complex for us to understand. Over a thousand factors, analyzed for every vocal sample. Over a thousand ones or zeros clicked in the corresponding click boxes. Who checks for the glitch? Who do you complain to if you think you\u2019re getting a raw deal? Is it just me or does technology like this simply pass our penchant for prejudice on to the machines who will soon wrest planetary control from our soft, carbon-based hands?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHello, I\u2019d like to apply for a job,\u201d the human being says, enunciating as clearly as possible into the phone receiver. \u201cMy name is\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDisqualified,\u201d says the cold, computerized voice on the other end of the line. \u201cToo squeaky. Perhaps you should seek work in the silent film business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>guardian.co.uk &#169; Guardian News &amp; Media Limited 2010<\/p>\n<p>Published via the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk\/open-platform\/news-feed-wordpress-plugin\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Guardian plugin page\" rel=\"noopener\">Guardian News Feed<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.org\/extend\/plugins\/the-guardian-news-feed\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Wordress plugin page\" rel=\"noopener\">plugin<\/a> for WordPress.<\/p>\n<p><!-- END GUARDIAN WATERMARK --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Companies now use \u2018voice analysis\u2019 software to determine whether to hire us. And, once we\u2019re employed, to predict if we\u2019ll stay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,48,225,228,314,281,226,202,227,116,224],"class_list":["post-8881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musings","tag-article","tag-comment","tag-computing","tag-dave-bry","tag-dave-bry-column","tag-opinion","tag-privacy","tag-science","tag-silicon-valley","tag-technology","tag-us-work-careers"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6NRDR-2jf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":144944,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2019\/07\/13\/why-algorithms-are-called-algorithms\/","url_meta":{"origin":8881,"position":0},"title":"Why algorithms are called algorithms","author":"diana Stone","date":"July 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Why are algorithms called algorithms? It's thanks to Persian mathematician Muhammad al-Khwarizmi who was born way back in around AD780. Made by Dayglow Media & Pencil & Pepper, 9 July 2019","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Musings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7452,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2015\/04\/03\/christianity-for-hard-working-people-the-gospel-according-to-dave\/","url_meta":{"origin":8881,"position":1},"title":"Christianity for hard working people, the Gospel according to Dave","author":"diana Stone","date":"April 3, 2015","format":"quote","excerpt":"You couldn't make it up or could you? \"The Christian assertion that God loves everyone, the malformed, the poor, the disabled and even the foreigner ... is an idea that Mr Cameron\u2019s government has defined itself against.\"Posted by The Guardian on Friday, 3 April 2015","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Musings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":180013,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2026\/04\/13\/that-certain-age\/","url_meta":{"origin":8881,"position":2},"title":"That Certain Age.","author":"diana Stone","date":"April 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Life plays us in a sense, we push too hard one way and it resists us and forces us off course far to often. \"There is a tide in the affairs of men,Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;Omitted, all the voyage of their lifeIs bound in shallows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Musings&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Musings","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/musings\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/deltacrown.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/deltacrown.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/deltacrown.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/deltacrown.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/deltacrown.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":570,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2009\/11\/27\/elephant-shelf-at-the-kings-head-video\/","url_meta":{"origin":8881,"position":3},"title":"Elephant Shelf at the kings head Video","author":"diana Stone","date":"November 27, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"A nice little add-hoc video clip of the shelf at the Kings Head. With me getting a bit Jules Hollandish on the piano. Dave Grigg is deputizing on bass in this video.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Delta Ladies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Delta Ladies","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/delta-ladies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":175075,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2021\/08\/26\/keeping-up-the-good-work-and-all-that\/","url_meta":{"origin":8881,"position":4},"title":"Keeping Up the Good Work and All That","author":"diana Stone","date":"August 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Diana Stones Glasscage \u00b7 Trying To Touch The Beyond Or not keeping up, that is the question.\u00a0 I am keeping busy. Actually\u00a0 on reflection much busier than I actually thought I was it turns out. over the past 25 years I have recorded about 500 plus songs and instrumentals it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Diana Stones Songs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Diana Stones Songs","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/diana_stones_songs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iconic1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":177411,"url":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/2024\/05\/25\/chesham-fringe-festival-performing-as-part-of-jonathan-bickleys-rather-good-invisible-folk-club-band-at-the-george-and-dragon\/","url_meta":{"origin":8881,"position":5},"title":"Chesham Fringe Festival  performing as part of Jonathan Bickleys rather good Invisible Folk Club band at the George and Dragon","author":"diana Stone","date":"May 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I just got back from the Chesham Fringe Festival after performing as part of Jonathan Bickleys rather good Invisible Folk Club band at the George and Dragon. A jolly fine time was had by all The latest album Robin Hood by Jonathan Bickley which I am fiddling on along with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Delta Ladies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Delta Ladies","link":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/category\/delta-ladies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chesham-Fringe.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chesham-Fringe.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chesham-Fringe.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chesham-Fringe.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chesham-Fringe.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8881\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glass-cage.com\/dianas_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}