“To compound the problem, the baleful effects of AI are often rooted in the very algorithms that drive many tech companies’ profit streams. Economists call such societal costs “negative externalities.” A key component of a negative externality is that the selling or buying of the product itself doesn’t price in the costs borne by others in society as a result of this transaction.

For instance, if people are clicking like crazy on ideologically divisive content served up by personalized algorithms designed to manipulate emotions, it may make both the social media company and the individual user happy in the moment. But it’s inarguably a bad thing for the world. However, those clicks equal money, and when you’re answering to impatient shareholders, greed has an edge over principle.”

Beware corporate ‘machinewashing’ of AI
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/01/07/beware-corporate-machinewashing/IwB1GkAxBlFaOzfo8Wh0IN/story.html
via Instapaper