A number of local government agencies and courts around the U.S. are placing their trust in machines. Need help determining health care program eligibility? There’s an algorithm for that.  What about predicting the chances of inmate recidivism? Just enter in some variables and press a button.

Sounds simple, right? Except, of course, for the actual algorithms themselves. In fact, they can be so complex that, unknown to the agencies who deploy them, they may be biased.