The Pew Research Center outlined seven things to know about computer algorithms as part of a recent analysis.
"Algorithms are all around us, using massive stores of data and complex analytics to make decisions with often significant impacts on humans — from choosing the content people see on social media to judging whether a person is a good credit risk or job candidate," the analysis reads.
For the analysis, the nonprofit reviewed several reports it released in 2018, all of which explored how algorithms are shaping people's lives today. From there, the Pew Research Center extracted seven key themes that emerged from the research.
The seven themes, as described in the analysis:
1. Algorithmically generated content platforms play a prominent role in Americans' information diets. "Sizable shares of U.S. adults now get news on sites like Facebook or YouTube that use algorithms to curate the content they show to their users."
2. The inner workings of even the most common algorithms can be confusing to users. "Facebook is among the most popular social media platforms, but roughly half of Facebook users … say they do not understand how the site's algorithmically generated news feed selects which posts to show them."
3. The public is wary of computer algorithms being used to make decisions with real-world consequences. "When asked to elaborate about their worries, many feel that these programs violate people's privacy, are unfair or simply will not work as well as decisions made by humans."
4. People's comfort level with algorithms often depends on how they are used. "Social media users say it is acceptable for social media platforms to use data about them and their online habits to recommend events they might like to attend. But a substantial majority of users think it is not acceptable for social media platforms to use their data to deliver messages from political campaigns."
5. Most Americans think computer programs will always reflect the biases of their designers. "Proponents of algorithms often argue that these systems can lead to fairer and more effective decision-making, but others worry that these processes will simply reinforce existing biases and disparities."
6. Most Americans are skeptical that the content they see on social media reflects reality. "A majority of Americans (74 percent) think the content people post on social media does not provide an accurate picture of how society feels about important issues."
7. Technology experts predict that algorithms will amplify human effectiveness, but threaten human autonomy. "Experts predicted that advances in algorithm-driven artificial intelligence will potentially revolutionize areas such as healthcare, education and broad aspects of the economy. Yet, most experts … expressed concerns about the long-term impact of these new tools."
To read the Pew Research Center's analysis, click here.