© Tobias Baer 2019
Tobias BaerUnderstand, Manage, and Prevent Algorithmic Biashttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-4885-0_1

1. Introduction

Tobias Baer1 
(1)
Kaufbeuren, Germany
 
What is a bias? A widely cited source1 defines it as follows:

Inclination or prejudice for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered to be unfair.

Biases are double-edged swords. As you will see in the next chapter, biases typically are not a character flaw or rare aberration but rather the necessary cost of enabling the human mind to make thousands of decisions every day in a seemingly effortless, ultra-fast manner. Have you ever marveled how you were able to escape a fast-moving object, such as a car about to crash into you, in a split-second? Neuroscientists ...

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