data-ethics-and-society-reading-group

Data Ethics & Society Reading Group 28-02-23, 12:00-13:00 GMT

Description

You’re welcome to join us for our second Data Ethics & Society Reading Group event of 2023 on Wednesday 17th May at 12:00. This time we’re going to read Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil. O’Neil, a mathematician and data scientist, reveals the mathematical models being used today are unregulated and uncontestable, even when they’re wrong.

Weapons of Math Destruction was chosen based on a poll at our last event.

Please consider either buying the book from a local, independent bookseller, or picking up a used copy online, or borrowing from your local library.

Discussion points

There will be time to talk about whatever we like, relating to the paper, but here are some specific questions to think about while you’re reading.

1. How did you react to learning about Weapons of Math Destruction (WMDs)? Which hit closest to home for you?
2. Do large language models such as Chat-GPT reinforce the idea that we are living in a “techno-utopia” (the idea that data science tools are somehow making things objective and fair)? If so, how?
3. Given that this book was first published in 2016, do you think WMDs are more or less harmful in 2023?

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