All around us, algorithms provide a kind of convenient source of authority. An easy way to delegate responsibility; a short cut that we take without thinking. Who is really going to click through to the second page of Google every time and think critically about every result? Or go to every airline to check if Skyscanner is listing the cheapest deals? Or get out a ruler and a road map to confirm that their GPS is offering the shortest route? Not me, that’s for sure. But there’s a distinction that needs making here. Because trusting a usually reliable algorithm is one thing. Trusting one
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