Algorithms that change lives should be trialled like new drugs

Who should we listen to when deciding whether a criminal will reoffend: a sophisticated algorithm, or random people on the internet? Trick question – it turns out they both produce the same results, according to a new analysis that demonstrates the danger of handing over control of our lives to the machines.

Such predictive algorithms are already well-entrenched, informing and making crucial decisions. But for many of them, evidence they are accurate and fair is lagging behind. This needs to change.

“We have a tendency to…