UCLA

This paper delves into the multifaceted role of search algorithms in the digital landscape. While these algorithms do enhance efficiency and personalization of searching, ethical concerns arise due to inherent biases, which reinforce stereotypes and adversely affect individuals of color, women, queer people, and other minority communities. A proposed solution includes creating an external consulting-like company that can discover and quantify these biases. The biggest challenge lies in then using this to make changes within tech companies, given limited financial incentives, a lack of diversity in algorithm-building teams, and industry monopolies. To address these issues, an adjoining legal team specializing in internet anti-discrimination policy could work to set legal precedents that drive ethical changes. The discussion encompasses the organization’s viability within a capitalist society, and concludes by highlighting the broader implications of algorithmic biases across various domains, emphasizing the need for immediate, creative, and interdisciplinary solutions to address social justice issues in algorithmic decision-making.