Inventor of the Web Slaps Tech Giants’ Fingers: “Be More Transparent”

World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee is urging major tech companies to ensure their artificial intelligence algorithms do not discriminate, telling them to be more transparent about how these algorithms make decisions that affect people’s lives.

Berners-Lee spoke during a data conference in London, England hosted by the think tank he co-founded, Open Data Institute, highlighting artificial intelligence algorithms needed to be better tested so as to be sure there was no prejudice against marginalized groups including women and the poor.

The London-born computer scientist, also called for a halt on online targeted political advertising, emphasizing, “People are being manipulated into voting for things which are not in their best interests.”