The Power & Problems Of Algorithm-Driven Decisionmaking In Child Welfare

"Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted." Albert Einstein

The potential—and the consequences—of algorithm-driven decisionmaking was top of mind recently as I read about the child welfare decision support tool being used by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (see An Algorithm That Screens For Child Neglect In One Pennsylvania County Raises Concerns). The tool has generated some controversy. The concern, according to new research from a Carnegie Mellon University team, is that "Allegheny's algorithm in its first years of operation showed a pattern of flagging a disproportionate number of Black . . .