“When I think about whether I want to take a job, I don't just think about whether it's technically interesting, although I do consider that. I also consider the question of whether it's good for the world.” ThinkingWorldWantJobsInteresting Author:Cathy O'Neil
“So much of our society as a whole is gearing us to maximize our salary or bonus. Basically, we just think in terms of money. Or, if not money, then, if you're in academia, it's prestige. It's a different kind of currency. And there's this unmeasured dimension of all jobs, which is whether it's improving the world.” IfsThinkingWorldKindDifferentWholeJobsTermDimensionsOur SocietyDifferent KindsCurrencyImprovingSalaryPrestigeAcademiaBonus Author:Cathy O'Neil
“The training one receives when one becomes a technician, like a data scientist - we get trained in mathematics or computer science or statistics - is entirely separated from a discussion of ethics.” ComputerTrainingEthicsScientistMathematicsDataDiscussionStatisticsComputer ScienceTechnicians Author:Cathy O'Neil
“Most people don't have any association in their minds with what they do and with ethics. They think they somehow moved past the questions of morality or values or ethics, and that's something that I've never imagined to be true.” PeopleThinkingMindPastValuesMoralityEthicsMovedBeing TrueAssociation Author:Cathy O'Neil
“Especially from my experience as a quant in a hedge fund - I naively went in there thinking that I would be making the market more efficient and then was like, oh my God, I'm part of this terrible system that is blowing up the world's economy, and I don't want to be a part of that.” ThinkingWorldWantWould BeEconomyTerribleFundEfficientBlowing UpHedge Fund Author:Cathy O'Neil
“It's a standard thing you hear from startup people - that their product is somehow improving the world. And if you follow the reasoning, you will get somewhere, and I'll tell you where you get: You'll get to the description of what happens to the winners under the system that they're building.” PeopleIfsWorldHappensBuildingProductsStandardsWinnerReasoningDescriptionImproving Author:Cathy O'Neil
“Every system using data separates humanity into winners and losers.” HumanityDataWinnerLoserWinner And Loser Author:Cathy O'Neil
“An insurance company might say, "Tell us more about yourself so your premiums can go down." When they say that, they're addressing the winners, not the losers.” MightCompanyWinnerLoserAbout YourselfInsurance Companies Author:Cathy O'Neil
“That's what we do when we work in Silicon Valley tech startups: We think about who's going to benefit from this. That's almost the only thing we think about.” ThinkingBenefitsValleysSiliconSilicon Valley Author:Cathy O'Neil
“I think what's happened is that the general public has become much more aware of the destructive power of Wall Street.” ThinkingHappenedStreetsWallDestructiveGeneral PublicDestructive Power Author:Cathy O'Neil