Question

Difficulty: MediumPoints of Disagreement

Read the following two passages regarding algorithmic risk-assessment tools in the criminal justice system.

Passage A
While it is undeniably true that algorithmic risk-assessment tools used in criminal sentencing reflect the biases of their historical training data, they nonetheless offer a more transparent alternative to human intuition. Implicit bias in human judges is famously difficult to detect and correct. Algorithms, however flawed, rely on explicit variables that can be audited, debated, and eventually refined. Thus, while they are not a perfect cure for systemic prejudice, these computational models provide a necessary foundation for progressively reducing disparity in judicial outcomes.

Passage B
The deployment of algorithmic risk-assessment tools in sentencing operates under a dangerous guise of mathematical objectivity. In reality, these proprietary models are black boxes that digest decades of structurally biased arrest records and output risk scores that judges rarely understand. Far from providing clarity, the complexity and opacity of these algorithms effectively launder historical prejudice, shielding it from legal scrutiny. By outsourcing sentencing to machines, the justice system does not reduce bias; it merely entrenches it deeper out of sight.

Statement: The authors of the passages disagree over whether algorithmic risk-assessment tools are entirely free from the biases found in their historical training data.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False
The statement is false because the two authors actually agree on this specific point. Passage A explicitly acknowledges that algorithmic tools 'reflect the biases of their historical training data.' Passage B similarly notes that the models 'digest decades of structurally biased arrest records.' Because both authors recognize that the tools carry historical biases, this issue represents a point of shared agreement, not a point of disagreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine Passage A's position on whether algorithms are free from historical bias.
Passage A explicitly concedes that algorithmic tools 'reflect the biases of their historical training data.'
To identify the first author's stance on the proposition presented in the statement.
2
Determine Passage B's position on the same issue.
Passage B states that these models 'digest decades of structurally biased arrest records.'
To identify the second author's stance and see if it contradicts the first author.
3
Compare the two positions to see if a disagreement exists on this specific point.
Both authors acknowledge that algorithmic tools are influenced by historical biases. Therefore, they do not disagree on this matter.
A valid point of disagreement requires one author to affirm the claim and the other to reject it.

Key Concept

Identifying shared concessions versus points at issue in dual passages.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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