Algorithms Need Judgment
Inspired by on Lenny's Podcast
Tech utopians think you can feed all data to an algorithm and it will do the right thing - which is exactly how it feels when you try to parent entirely from a book.
Adriel Frederick built algorithmic products at Facebook and Lyft. His take on pure algorithmic solutions?
'There are techno utopians who would say, feed all data to the algorithm, give it an objective, and it will do the right thing. The reason that falls down is the algorithms don't understand long term effects, nor do they understand how people might respond to it, nor do they understand your intent for the product.'
Sound familiar? Every parenting book, every sleep training program, every feeding philosophy - they're algorithms. Input: child behavior. Output: recommended action. Follow steps 1-7.
But algorithms don't know your specific child. They don't know your family's values. They don't know that your kid is scared of the dark because of that one time with the dog.
'When you are working on algorithmic heavy products, your job is figuring out what the algorithm should be responsible for, what people are responsible for, and the framework for making decisions.'
Translation: Use the books. But you make the judgment calls.
PM Theme: Balancing automation with human judgment
Parenting Theme: Trusting your instincts over prescriptions
“There are probably, I call them techno utopians who would say, feed all data to the algorithm, give it an objective, and it will do the right thing. The reason that falls down is the algorithms don't understand long term effects often, nor do they understand how people might respond to it, nor do they understand your intent for the product.”Adriel Frederick · 00:00:00
“When you are working on algorithmic heavy products, your job is figuring out what the algorithm should be responsible for, what people are responsible for, and the framework for making decisions.”Adriel Frederick · 00:00:45
