Fifty trillion shades of grey

Something that’s missed when we talk about Big Data is the risk of false positives – if you dip into the stream, you can prove anything against person.

understanding data with computers

If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him said the 17th Century French politician Cardinal Richelieu.

Today those six lines could be written on a social media site or be six disparate points drawn from a database. Without context those six lines could condemn us.

Something that’s missed when we talk about Big Data is the risk of false positives – if you dip into the stream, you can prove anything against person.

The world isn’t black or white, there are fifty trillion shades of gray and that’s why it’s important to think before posting an image on the web, firing someone or calling the cops.

In an era where we’re quick to judge and condemn people, the stakes are very high.

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Author: Paul Wallbank

Paul Wallbank is a speaker and writer charting how technology is changing society and business. Paul has four regular technology advice radio programs on ABC, a weekly column on the smartcompany.com.au website and has published seven books.

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