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    A Joosr Guide to... Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
    A Joosr Guide to... Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
    A Joosr Guide to... Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
    Ebook25 pages20 minutes

    A Joosr Guide to... Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

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    About this ebook

    In today's fast-paced world, it's tough to find the time to read. But with Joosr guides, you can get the key insights from bestselling non-fiction titles in less than 20 minutes. Whether you want to gain knowledge on the go or find the books you'll love, Joosr's brief and accessible eBook summaries fit into your life. Find out more at joosr.com.

    You might be familiar with the term "Big Data," and have some awareness of how algorithms are used to gather information about us online. But mathematical models are steadily controlling more and more aspects of our lives that are not so commonly acknowledged-from our college choices to our job prospects, and even our ability to take out loans or insurance. Learn about the dark inner workings of algorithm technology, and how programmed models are increasingly deciding what many of our futures will look like.

    Weapons of Math Destruction is an exploration into how mathematical models are impacting on society, and the ways that they are serving to reinforce existing social problems. Its findings are fascinating and concerning, as frequently these models contain built-in prejudice, resulting in further penalization of the already disadvantaged, and a perpetuation of inequalities.

    You will learn:

    ·How algorithms are determining the outcome at key stages in our lives

    ·Why mathematical models are causing the poor to get poorer and the rich to get richer

    ·How we are being categorized unknowingly-and how this affects our opportunities

    ·What makes an algorithm dangerous, and why they are so powerful.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJoosr
    Release dateNov 21, 2016
    ISBN9781785675300
    A Joosr Guide to... Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

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      Book preview

      A Joosr Guide to... Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O'Neil - Joosr

      takeaways

      What’s it about?

      The modern phenomenon of Big Data combines constructed mathematical models with the latest digital technology. Algorithms track information about us via the internet, monitoring our online movements to gather statistics for vast databases. One well-known example of this practice is targeted advertising, whereby companies use automated systems to gather data about our spending habits in order to strategically market their products.

      However, there are multiple other forms of Big Data usage, which are happening unbeknownst to much of the population. Furthermore, the impact of many model systems is wide reaching and harmful—yet the process by which these models are designed is invisible, and therefore remains unquestioned.

      In Weapons of Math Destruction, Cathy O’Neil identifies the mathematical models that increasingly determine the outcome of key points in our lives: from going to college, to getting a job, to applying for a loan, to insuring a car. These models not only affect what opportunities are available to us by assigning us to particular categories, but they also impact negatively on society at large, fuelling existing prejudices and entrenching inequalities. These are the models O’Neil terms Weapons of Math Destruction (WMDs): always operating on a

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