Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

Author: Cathy O’Neil

Genre: Nonfiction, Social Science

Publication Date: 2016 (revised 2017)

Introduction

In Weapons of Math Destruction, data scientist Cathy O’Neil makes the case that mathematical models have been given undue and often unchecked influence over important areas of public life. Pointing to examples from finance, education, law enforcement, and politics, O’Neil argues that certain models—which she terms WMDs—have wide-reaching harmful effects on society at large. Pushing back against widespread optimism about the potential of Big Data, O’Neil shows how these models perpetuate inequality by labeling vulnerable people as bad employees, credit risks, or potential criminals. Worse, these models often operate without any real accountability, even within the companies and governments that make use of them. O’Neil calls for a widespread reassessment of the role, purpose, and use of such models, with a goal of taming their worst traits and repurposing them for social good.