Page 14 - Logistics News August 2016

ethical algorithms

Living with ethical algorithms

By Rick de Klerk

Maths is a universal language with no room for ambiguity, the undertow of the waves in
which we all swim: what search results are returned to us when we Google, what ads are
displayed, the aggregated promoted content of your Facebook feed, recommended colleagues in

LinkedIn, shortest route on your GPS.

WE’VE TACKLED such issues before – in our routing Now, it might seem a simple utilitarian approach
tool, for example, we’ve attempted to cater for is the best answer: pull the lever, since one death
those who would like to minimise and tally the CO2 is better than five. But in pulling the lever you are
emissions generated by their vehicle schedules. made at least partially complicit in their death.
Unfortunately, sometimes these algorithms come to Inaction, on the other hand, results in a worst
the fore for more morbid reasons. outcome but potentially one in which you cannot
be held responsible.
Tesla have made a name for themselves with
the Autopilot feature of their vehicles, but a recent What are the appropriate rules for this
accident involving one of their Tesla Model S scenario? Let’s come back to Tesla – suppose
Sedans, in which the system failed to brake when everything was working as intended, and a
approaching a tractor-trailer at some 100 km/h, collision of some sort was unavoidable. The
resulted in a fatality that has stirred up a hornet’s algorithm could potentially aim to minimise
nest amongst federal investigators. casualties, but should it prioritise the driver’s
life over pedestrians? Does the nature of the
To be fair, there are a host of reasons why the pedestrians – adults versus children, social status
system could have failed that has nothing to do – have any bearing? The algorithms governing
with the underlying math driving the Autopilot, gambling machines are minutely examined by
but it raises the topic of something called ethical government agencies to ensure that they operate
algorithms. As we become more reliant on these fairly – should an algorithm responsible for human
algorithms and mathematical formula to navigate a lives be similarly balanced?
complex world, designers and developers have an
ethical responsibility to ensure that the algorithms Designers and developers need to confront
we’re putting in place today are ethically grounded. these issues more readily when designing tools
and entertainment that butts up against the
The concept of ethical algorithms is most real world, that may send us to places we may
succinctly summed up with what is known as the not have otherwise gone, or to act in a manner
trolley problem. You have access to a lever on a rail that isn’t appropriate or safe for said place. In
track on which five people are tied while a tram the same vein, users have a duty to be more
hurtles towards them. You can pull the lever to skeptical, more critical of what systems are
divert the tram onto a different track with a single telling them, and why. •
maintenance crew worker.

The many
variants of
the trolley
problem make
for occasionally
darkly comic
reading. (Image
by Jonas
Kubilius)

To add comment, email rick.de.klerk@opsi.co.za

12 August 2016 | Logistics News