Stop Passing the Blame to the Computer Algorithm

(Involuntary) Algorithm Selection Disclosure Responsibility

United Airlines booted a boarded passenger claiming the passenger was selected by the computer system. At what point do the humans that specify the policies take responsibility rather than pointing fingers saying the computer did it?

Does a paying airline passenger that successfully boards a plane have a right to know the exact reasons that they might be selected and booted from the same plane? Are there any provisions for a rebuttal or to ensure that the exact stated policies are being followed?

The details regarding why this particular passenger was chosen are still murky. The best guess seems that those selected had paid the lowest price for their seats.

Whatever the reasons are for passenger selection, they should be clearly specified, transparent, and regulated.

What are the reasonable expectations regarding self-driving vehicles? When the computer has to make critical decisions, will it be transparent as to how they are made? Will the decisions be rule based or probabilistic?