The EU’s GPDR or allows General Data Protection Regulation which goes into effect next year includes a right to an explanation of decisions made by algorithms and a right to opt out of some algorithmic decisions altogether.

The challenge is, some conclusions might not be able to be explained, more importantly as you may have read today on a guest post from Nick Wallace, correlation is not always easy to understand. Penicillin’s antibiotic properties have been proven through correlation for about 80 years but until recently, it wasn’t known why it has been so effective.

Similarly, if a person opts out of such programs – it may mean they miss out on an entire assortment of new designer medications which would be most effective for them thanks to AI and big data algorithms.

There seems to be a concern among regulators that somehow these algorithms will have a racist outcome or that they may may target the less fortunate, etc. Similarly though algorithms could indeed help determine who in minority and poor communities is the most likely to pay their bills on time and subsequently receive a lower interest rate.

Seeing both sides of the coin however may be a dream which never happens because another disturbing blow to AI took place today. Peter Thiel found the amazing potential of combining AI and humans to detect fraud while at PayPal. He brought this technology to Palantir to provide predictive policing to cities.

New Orleans used the system for six-years but will not renew the contract. There is potential legal fallout from the revelation of New Orleans’ partnership with Palantir. Several defense attorneys interviewed by The Verge, including lawyers who represented people accused of membership in gangs that, according to documents and interviews, were identified at least in part through the use of Palantir software, said they had never heard of the partnership nor seen any discovery evidence referencing Palantir’s use by the NOPD.

Two continents in a short period of time are seeing legal challenges to AI. The fight between AI, regulators and lawyers will be BigTech’s World War III. Enormous sums of money will be spent on all sides to try to help navigate our way through a new world order where the machines – based on human-written programs make ever-more decisions.

Fun times ahead.