Cathy O'Neil

Weapons of Math Destruction

1. IDEA 1

   Algorithms can harm people

   O'Neil, a mathematician, argues that many algorithms used to make decisions about people are unfair and harmful. She calls the worst of them weapons of math destruction. Their harm often falls on the poor and the powerless.

2. IDEA 2

   Three features make them dangerous

   O'Neil defines harmful models by three features: they are opaque, they operate at large scale and they cause damage. People affected often cannot see or challenge them. Together, these features make mistakes hard to find and fix.

3. IDEA 3

   Bad models feed on themselves

   O'Neil explains that harmful algorithms create feedback loops. Their predictions shape outcomes, which then appear to confirm the predictions. A model that unfairly labels a person can make their life harder, which then makes the label seem true.

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