29 June 2023
A New York City law is requiring companies to show that the AI-powered tools they use in hiring and promotion are not biased. Critics say it lets most employers off the hook
7 June 2023
How can you ensure you use the fewest bags when loading your shopping? A dash of maths will help, says Peter Rowlett
10 May 2023
Artificial intelligence systems will do what you ask but not necessarily what you meant. The challenge is to make sure they act in line with human’s complex, nuanced values
12 July 2022
Finding how many knots there are for a given number of string crossings was thought to be an impossibly complex task. Now, algorithm engineering is cracking it – and showing us how to solve other fiendishly intricate maths problems
1 December 2021
Originally a way of solving complicated equations with moving variables, the modern definition of an algorithm is morphing
1 December 2021
Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī was a Persian polymath, sometimes known as the father of algebra, who produced ground-breaking works in mathematics, astronomy and geography
9 September 2021
China has drafted powerful new legislation that would control how businesses use data to target advertising, curate social media feeds and recommend content
16 June 2021
From shaping what we read and buy to diagnosing illness, algorithms play a key role in every aspect of our lives. Here’s what you need to know about the most important ones
5 February 2021
Some tangles that look like knots are actually “the unknot”, which can be untangled into a simple loop, and a new algorithm has sped up the process of finding them
16 December 2020
Recreating the delicious meals of my youth involves balancing the algorithms of online recipes against my recollection of watching my father cook, says Annalee Newitz
