this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2024
332 points (99.1% liked)

Technology

59598 readers
3495 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

SafeRent is a machine learning black box for landlords. It gives landlords a numerical rating of potential tenants and a yes/no result on whether to rent to them.

In May 2022, Massachusetts housing voucher recipients and the Community Action Agency of Somerville sued the company, claiming SafeRent gave Black and Hispanic rental applicants with housing vouchers disproportionately lower scores.

The tenants had no visibility into how the algorithm scored them. Appeals were rejected on the basis that this was what the computer output said.

top 18 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 6 points 2 hours ago

Just do you job you lazy cunts. Stop trying get ai to do everything. Real estate agents should be checking this stuff it's part of the role.

[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

$2.28 million is pocket change for the capitalists, they will learn nothing

[–] LANIK2000@lemmy.world 5 points 2 hours ago

Just another cost of running business.

[–] scratchee@feddit.uk 4 points 5 hours ago

At least they were banned from using AI screening for 5 years.

I’d hope breaking a court order would result in the kind of punishments they would actually fear.

[–] AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 14 points 9 hours ago

Crappy-ass fine and simply a "cost of doing business" for them I bet. Damages have been done for which there is no undoing. Deplorable.

[–] drdiddlybadger@pawb.social 90 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

The land lords who used the service should also be held liable. You mean to tell me you get a report with a binary answer and you just trust it with no due diligence? If there is no penalty for blindly trusting an algorithm they will just move to the next tool they can use to be bigots.

[–] Randomgal@lemmy.ca 32 points 13 hours ago

Boy wait until you hear about credit scores...

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 38 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

If there are suicides linked to wronged applicants, they should be charged with at least "involuntary" manslaughter

[–] IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

How do you criminally charge an organization? Like who's reponsible? CEO? Stockholders? The Board of Directors?

[–] IcyToes@sh.itjust.works 5 points 10 hours ago

Well stockholders don't have executive capabilities. The CEO is responsible. Could hold board responsible too if they knew.

[–] Zak@lemmy.world 34 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

Here's an explanation from the Associated Press. The penalty is usually a fine, which impacts stockholders by making the stock less valuable and could lead them to remove board members or demand the termination of executives. It's rarely used, but there is a corporate death penalty.

The penalty is usually a fine, which impacts stockholders by making the stock less valuable

Of course they can always compensate for this by firing a bunch of people.

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 20 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

The fact that I’ve never heard of the corporate death penalty until now, but they’re bringing back the actual death penalty says everything.

[–] mriguy@lemmy.world 13 points 15 hours ago

"I'll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one."

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 4 points 13 hours ago

You could revoke their corporate charter.

[–] sbv@sh.itjust.works 27 points 20 hours ago

Now they're promising to only be pretty racist.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 15 points 19 hours ago

OK some people got paid.. The problem didn't get solved

Classic america

[–] uis@lemm.ee 11 points 20 hours ago

There was lecture by Cory Doctrow about it.