A new company audits algorithms to see how biased they are

Mathematician Cathy O’Neil is offering businesses a chance to test their algorithms for fairness. Opening the black box: As artificial-intelligence systems get more advanced, the logic paths they follow can be difficult—or even impossible—to understand, creating a so-called “black box.” As these algorithms control increasingly important parts of our lives, it is crucial to understand their hidden biases. The solution: O’Neil, who wrote the book Weapons of Math Destruction, has started O’Neil Risk Consulting and Algorithmic Auditing to perform third-party audits on algorithms. Why would businesses choose to do this? Companies aren’t knocking down her door yet (she has only six clients). But they should be: not only is it in society’s best interest, it’s also good marketing. Getting a your algorithm certified for fairness can prove to your customers that your service is equitable and effective.