Topic: Risk Score

Algorithms are increasingly used to sort resumes and determine insurance risks, often relying heavily on credit scores as a primary data point. This systemic sorting can limit social mobility, leading to calls for data scientists to act as whistleblowers regarding the hidden biases within corporate modeling.

The hosts speculate on future "terror events" that might be used to justify new security measures, such as TSA at ferry terminals or train stations. They analyze a BBC report on new SAS software that assigns "risk scores" to travelers based on cash payments, age, and travel history. They compare this to credit scores, calling the normalization of individual risk profiles "disgusting."