User:Mildred Powell/Weapons of Math Destruction

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Weapons of Math Destruction is a 2016 American book about the societal impact of algorithms, written by Cathy O'Neil. It explores how some big data algorithms are increasingly used in ways that reinforce preexisting inequality. It was longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction but did not make it through to the shortlist, has been widely reviewed, and won the Euler Book Prize in 2019.

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O’Neil analyzes the way that many systems such as one’s credit score and advertising, can be more harmful than anything. Many of these systems are made to make the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich.

WMDs, or Weapons of Math Destruction, are mathematical algorithms that supposedly take human traits and quantify them. They instead have damaging effects and foster bias.

O'Neill tried to get the corporations using the algorithms to take responsibility for their actions, but she's only one person, the book also empowers the readers instead to demand change.

O'Neil discusses financial WMDs and her personal experiences, but her examples span a wide range of topics, including college rankings, employment application screeners, and the many inequitable ways credit scores reward the wealthy while punishing the poor.

WMDs, or Weapons of Math Destruction, are mathematical algorithms that supposedly take human traits and quantify them. They instead have damaging effects and foster bias.