Tech for Non-Techies 7. Intro to Algorithms and Big Data
The key learning points from this episode are:
- Algorithms are just sets of rules for computers to follow
- Algorithms need data to be useful
- Data is by definition historic because it is information on what has already happened
- A combination of AI and algorithms can create better user experiences, which can result in more usage, which then results in even more data and happy customers
- Algorithms amplify the data. If there are biases in the data, they will grow as a result of the algorithm. Rubbish data = rubbish algorithms = useless product
If you want to learn more and ask your questions, then join the Business of AI session with Harvard Business School Professor Marco Iansiti on 1 July 2020.
The full recording and session notes will be available in Tech for Non-Techies membership.
Prof Iansiti’s book Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World is one of the most comprehensive books on AI for non-techies available today.
If you want to understand how rubbish data or the absence of relevant data creates rubbish algorithms Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez is an excellent resource.
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