How Does an Algorithm Work?

You may have heard the term “algorithm” circulated more and more lately, and like all newly emerging technologies, there are some fears and stigmas attached, some warranted, some not. But what is an algorithm?

An algorithm is simply a set of instructions given to precisely define a sequence of some kind. That’s pretty much it! Usually, we’re talking about instructions given to computer systems to allow them to do their thing.  Web sites, applications, even malware. But we could also talk about instructions necessary to make a great Shepard’s Pie.

And since the instructions were precise?  Great Shepard’s Pie every single time! These step-by-step procedures help computers determine the best answer to given questions, such as “what text am I likely to type out next in this Google Search,” “what devices should get priority on internet bandwidth,” and “Did my smart device just hear you say ‘order toilet paper,’ or ‘wake me at four in the morning..?”

Okay, so they’re not perfect.

Basically, we give a set of instructions to a computer that guide the programming to more desired results. That’s all an algorithm is. A list of instructions, like a cooking recipe, or a list of chess moves. The danger isn’t in using algorithms, that technology has already emerged, and it’s here to stay. The issue lies in how the algorithms are used, and their intended goal. On their own, algorithms aren’t dangerous, or evil.

But one bad programmer or hacker can change the goal of an algorithm for the worse, and our own biases as we design algorithms can bleed through, leading the result to reflect our own preconceptions and biases.

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