Your life is dominated by algorithms and you know next-to-nothing about how they work or what consequences they have.

With Facebook's news feed controlling the (fake!) news we see and the algorithmic robo-debt debacle engulfing Centrelink, it's time we knew more about the algorithms having a growing impact on our lives.

Has an algorithm affected your life?

Has an algorithm affected your life? Do you work with any algorithms we should investigate?

Key points: We're looking into how algorithms are changing our lives

We're looking into how algorithms are changing our lives It's more interesting, important and complicated than you might imagine

It's more interesting, important and complicated than you might imagine We've collected some interesting reporting on how algorithms are influencing us and affecting our lives

We've collected some interesting reporting on how algorithms are influencing us and affecting our lives We want your help: are there any algorithms you think we should investigate? Get in touch

The intrusion of algorithms into our daily lives is much more pervasive than these examples suggest. So pervasive, in fact, that it's easy to overlook their use almost entirely or dismiss it simply as a natural consequence of modernity.

While there's a growing body of reporting on the subject, we know precious little about the algorithms which government and business routinely use to make important decisions about our lives.

There are at least 20 separate parts of Australian law that allow the government to give computers the power to make decisions. Decisions that used to be made by a human and can have important consequences.

These laws allow for computers to make decisions about social security, taxation, parental leave, superannuation, migration, bio security and child support. In every case, some kind of algorithm may be used to make decisions, yet we have no knowledge of how these work.

Wait, what is an algorithm?

In a broad sense, any set of instructions for completing a task or solving a problem could be considered an algorithm — directions provided to someone on the street for finding a nearby attraction, for example — however more commonly we think about algorithms as something to do with a computer. Computers are used to automate the carrying out of instructions defined in an algorithm.

It's this automated, computer-based use of algorithms where data and code drive systems for solving problems and the scale and speed with which they're being adopted that has experts concerned. Not only are they being adopted quickly, but they can make decisions quickly too, so when something goes wrong, it has the potential to go wrong in a big way.

But through all of this it's worth remembering that the errors and biases of computers are human errors and biases. In one way or another, we're still in control. We tell the computers what to do, via algorithms.

A recent report by Pew Research Centre sums up the concern of experts who study their effects succinctly, stating algorithms can "put too much control in the hands of corporations and governments, perpetuate bias, create filter bubbles, cut choices, creativity and serendipity, and could result in greater unemployment".

Algorithms are also getting far more complex. There is a new breed of algorithm, commonly referred to as machine-learning or artificial intelligence (AI), for which it's impossible to know exactly how they work.

This makes it all the more difficult to scrutinise their effects. And we're on the cusp of seeing these new "black box" algorithms take centre stage. The technology behind them is becoming more accessible every day; companies like Google, IBM and Amazon are releasing source code and commoditising AI.

What are the algorithms that affect your life?

Over the coming months we plan to explore algorithms and take a closer look at some of the many that affect our lives in hidden ways. We plan to investigate specific algorithms, the systems that use them and the (sometimes unintended) effects they have.

Along the way we'll try to help you understand:

What is an algorithm and what different kinds are there?

What is an algorithm and what different kinds are there? What kinds of decisions do algorithms make?

What kinds of decisions do algorithms make? How close are we to a future that looks like an episode of Black Mirror?

Collected below are a few interesting examples of reporting on algorithms and their consequences.

Do you know of an algorithm you think we should investigate? Contact Simon Elvery.

The new taste-makers

One of the first arenas in which algorithms started to have real impact in taste-making was music. Ben Popper wrote about algorithmic music curation for The Verge in 2015. It's still an insightful and interesting read:

"That first track was a risky selection, and the rest of the playlist was, too. It felt like an intimate gift from someone who knew my tastes inside and out, and wasn't afraid to throw me a curveball. But the mix didn't come from a friend — it came from an algorithm."

Another interesting and more recent piece exploring similar topics is How Has Streaming Affected our Identities as Music Collectors? by Cherie Hu.

Reinforcing structural discrimination

The Washington Post reported in 2016 on evidence that Uber appeared to be offering better service in areas of Washington DC with more white people:

"While any sort of racially biased agenda by Uber is extremely unlikely, our results suggest that race does play a role in predicting the service quality of uberX in different neighbourhoods. This raises all kinds of substantive questions."

Who should get parole?

The use of algorithms to predict whether prisoners will re-offend, impacting on whether they should get parole, is in wide use in the US justice system. There's been a lot of deep and significant reporting on this, much of which has been well summarised by reporters at the Washington Post:

"What does it mean for an algorithm to be fair? Surprisingly, there is a mathematical limit to how fair any algorithm — or human decision-maker — can ever be."

Should we work with or attempt to subvert algorithms?

It is, of course, not very new to attempt to trick an algorithm. Indeed, a whole industry — search engine optimisation — was built around gaming Google's famous search algorithm. But what about trying to subvert (or even work with) algorithms for good?