04 Aug How does machine bias distort decision making

This week, we have been discussing how algorithms are increasingly making decisions on behalf of human beings. Further, the inner workings of these algorithms are opaque and unavailable for public scrutiny.

What implications does algorithmic decision making (that is, decision making by computers) have for the organization of work? For society? How does machine bias distort decision making? What can be done to regulate this bias?

Use the material from the readings to offer your own perspective on this issue. You can pick any angle of the story that you find interesting.

Please reference Managerial Decision Making from the textbook as well as 2 other references

The chapter also discusses group decision making. One interesting dimension of group decision making is the concept of “Groupthink” or the manner in which cohesive groups make dissent difficult resulting in a pressure on individuals to conform to group norms and decisions even when the evidence suggest that the group’s policies are not working. Read a basic explanation of this phenomenon here:

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Groupthink.
Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/groupthi…

Then, read the article written by the Irvin Janis, who came up with the term.
Janis, I. (1971) Groupthink. Psychology Today. Chicago: Ziff-Davis.
Available at: http://agcommtheory.pbworks.com/f/GroupThink.pdf

The word “groupthink” references the concept of Newspeak in George Orwell’s famous book 1984. If you haven’t read the book itself, you should pick it up at some time. But for now, read a summary of the plot here and then read the attached appendix from the novel (Newspeak – Orwell).