Able Quote by Cathy O'Neil
“I think there's inherently an issue that models will literally never be able to handle, which is that when somebody comes along with a new way of doing something that's really excellent, the models will not recognize it. They only know how to recognize excellence when they can measure it somehow.”
About This Quote
Models rely on measurable criteria, so they miss novel excellence that cannot yet be quantified.
In simple terms: Models miss new excellence they can’t measure.
Key Takeaway
Develop ways to recognize unmeasurable quality.
Themes
AI
model limitations
innovation
measurement
excellence
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- product design
- art evaluation
- scientific discovery
- business strategy
- education
Key Concepts
machine learning
epistemology
creativity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we teach models to value the unquantifiable?
- What metrics could capture true excellence?
A Different Perspective
Quantifying novelty is inherently difficult.
![“With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests [for hiring], I worry about filtering out people with mental health problems from jobs. And with a teacher value-added model algorithm [used in New York City to score teachers], I worry literally that…” quote by Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7df/cathy-o-neil-11478_algorithms_with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i_18212.jpg)
