Re: Not just computers
>is a picture illegal?
I wonder if this article off the back of the BBC article which suggested that Google's algorithms are racist because if you ask for baby picture you only get white baby pictures? I'm just going to take a moment to laugh at the SJW's... ok I'm back.
I'm with you in that it "isn't just computers" but mostly processes are relatively observable and have audit trails. However I don't think "processes" is where the article goes. We're into knowledge/decision systems. The problem I see with these is not the "AI" or whatever, but the massive consolidation in many industries and the lack of competition. This may be via corporate consolidation or merely that all the corporates are running the same software. Either way, that is unhealthy and intervention may be required to stir things up and bring back competition. Perhaps we do need to think about splitting Google, AWS or MS up. Hmmm... I'm guessing that won't happen for the next four years.
The point about cartels offloading decisions to software with the objective of maintaining the cartel is interesting, but again, I think we're talking about business practice rather than particular algorithms.