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Artificial Intelligence: Algorithmic Literacy or the Need for Power Sharing | Technique



It is very difficult to work in a society where algorithms are increasingly present, if we are not able to understand them. I am not referring to traditional digital skills nor to advanced programming. Just as literacy was essential to personal autonomy or the exercise of full citizenship, in this time when artificial intelligence will be ubiquitous, algorithmic literacy is what allows us to continue to be free. Otherwise, there will be two categories of people, those who can use algorithms and those who use them.

The digital citizenship we are moving towards requires educating ourselves in this new context where phrases have been replaced by lines of code. Automated systems are spreading rapidly. Each time they decide or influence more aspects of our lives. It is a space that is still opaque and invisible. There is a general lack of knowledge about what they are, where they are used, why and what their effects are. There are currently no audits or standards to ensure its quality. How can a person decide if they agree with the decision rules built into the AI ​​that controls their life without understanding them? Public and political opinion finds its presence when scandal erupts, as in the case of the government of the Netherlands, which is guilty of violating human rights by using an algorithm against its own citizens.

The numbers speak for themselves. More than 90% of all searches in the world are done through the same place: Google. Every day billions of people trust their algorithm for everything. It’s a two way street, the web gives information in exchange for our data, are we aware of this? Do we know ways to protect ourselves? And to influence the algorithm? If you don’t understand how it works, you may end up trapped in a bubble of preferences in which your view of the world is progressively shrinking. What we don’t exactly need are more trenches. And what about generative AI models like ChatGPT that in five days achieved one million users — it took Netflix more than three years —. Are we ready as a society to expose those contents that do not correspond to reality? Do we understand, even fundamentally, how this model learns?

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Algorithmic literacy can be defined as the ability to perceive the use of algorithms in online applications, platforms, and services. An understanding of how they work, the ability to critically assess decision-making, and the skills to manipulate or even influence computational processes. Remember that an algorithm is a set of rules or commands that you use with artificial intelligence. Indeed, there is already a generation that has only witnessed the world they mediate, and in a way they are guided by the data they collect, as their preferences adapt what is shown to them on screens. Who helps them?

Algorithms are everywhere, being integrated into our current social and economic structures and into other aspects of daily life, including academic work. It is not a negative thing, on the contrary, its widespread application had a net positive effect. People can be more productive, know more about topics than ever before, spot trends, or better understand the world around them. We are discovering new ways of relating to our creativity and our knowledge thanks to the latest generative developments. I will go further. Precisely for this reason we must possess the necessary driving skills that allow us to control the machine and not vice versa. It is time to advance in the knowledge of technology and thus redistribute the power of those who control it.

As always, schools and educational centers have an essential role to play. You have to start from the beginning. Privacy and how to manage settings so that privacy is maintained. following up on how it is reported to us and how it is sought; Why you see what you see and the order in which you do it. It will be interesting for students to think about how they do inquiry so that they learn to be more critical and master intention in the process.

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Society should be able to think about algorithms and their operations; assess their impact and understand their influence in social, cultural, economic and political contexts; And in the end, make the person a co-decision maker. We must be better equipped for a reality in which these automated systems are mandated. Ultimately, the need for algorithmic literacy arises from the need to share power. Algorithms, especially the ones you use machine learning s Deep learningIt is complex, opaque, invisible, protected by intellectual property, but above all, it has consequences for people’s lives. Control rests with whoever created and published it, not with whoever uses it. This is what must be changed. It’s not about learning to code, it’s about being an active part of the social design codified in technology.

Lucia Velasco He is an economist and author of Will An Algorithm Replace You?

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