The tower of polls, biases, weights, and corrections
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The tower of polls, biases, weights, and corrections

No matter what poll-based content you read, you are not just reviewing what the data show. You are reading data, corrected for bias, weighted for lack of representation, scored for bias, aggregated, and then manipulated by a model. Each of these “corrections” is a human decision. These models are valuable, but they do not represent…

What? Me, biased?
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What? Me, biased?

My post Friday on Donald Trump’s new site and sort-of social network struck some nerves. One commenter said “As a social commentator, you cover for tyranny.” That seemed a little nasty. Two things are true. First, I am anti-Trump. I did a whole series of posts about it before the election. I’m not trying to…

AI algorithms are biased because reality is biased. But the algorithms can be fixed.

AI algorithms are biased because reality is biased. But the algorithms can be fixed.

The Apple Card, backed by Goldman Sachs and managed by algorithms, is apparently sexist. It’s giving men higher credit limits than women. The problem is in the “training set” of data — and it’s a fixable problem. In a Twitter thread that has caught fire, Silicon Valley David Heinemeier Hansson explains how despite the fact…

For minority authors, a book can generate respect and counteract bias

For minority authors, a book can generate respect and counteract bias

Why should older white men get all the respect? I’ve been talking to a diverse collection of executives, thinkers, and authors: men and women; old and young; white, black, Hispanic, and Asian; North American, European, Asian, and Australian. Here’s a shocker: if you’re seeking attention for your ideas, it’s easier if you’re an older, white,…

Optimism, group bias, fake news, and why the Patriots won the Super Bowl
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Optimism, group bias, fake news, and why the Patriots won the Super Bowl

The New England Patriots heroically overcame adversity to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime in Super Bowl LI. That’s the story here in New England. Or, perhaps, Atlanta coach Dan Quinn’s bad decisions, tired Falcons players, penalties, the unlikeliest catch ever seen, and Patriots cheaters are what really happened. Which is it? My message today (sorry to harsh your mellow…

All narratives are biased, as the Benghazi report coverage reveals

All narratives are biased, as the Benghazi report coverage reveals

Four Americans died in Benghazi on September 11, 2012. Yesterday’s “final” 800-page report about it from the U.S. House Select Committee is biased. So are the response from House Democrats, the coverage from Fox News, the coverage from CNN, and every other article. Why? Because all stories are inherently biased. It’s the nature of the form. Here’s…