Technology

There is no human element to this implantation, it is the technology itself malfunctioning. There was no damage but the system thinks there is damage.

Let's make sure we're building up from the same foundation. My assumptions are:

1. Algorithms will make mistakes.
2. There's an acceptable level of error for all algorithms.
3. If an algorithm is making too many mistakes, that can be mitigated with human supervision and overrides.

Let me know if you disagree with any of these assumptions.

In this case, the lack of human override discussed in assumption 3 is, itself, a human-made decision that I am claiming is an error in implementing this technology. That is the human element. As management, you can either go on a snipe hunt trying to find an algorithm that is perfect, or you can make sure that trained employees can verify and correct the algorithm when needed. Instead hertz management chose option 3 - run an imperfect algorithm with absolutely 0 employee oversight. THAT is where they fucked up. THAT is where the human element screwed a potentially useful technology.

I work with machine learning algorithms. You will not, ever, find a practical machine learning algorithm that gets something right 100% of the time and is never wrong. But we don't say "the technology is malfunctioning" when it gets something wrong, otherwise there's a ton of invisible technology that we all rely on in our day to day lives that is "malfunctioning".