Algorithms can help us make better decisions in a variety of situations. However, human beings tend to have an aversion to using algorithms. They trust their gut more than the computer, even though the algorithms may lead to better decisions. Knowledge@Wharton reports on a stream of fascinating research by Cade Massey, Joseph Simmons, and Berkeley J. Dietvorst. They found that you can persuade people to use algorithms if you give them a choice as to whether to use the algorithm or not. In other words, don't force them to use it; make them feel a sense of control. That will help convince them to choose the algorithm. However, many people stop using the algorithm after some period of time, because they become frustrated with the mistakes that the computer makes. Of course, the computer might make fewer mistakes than a human using intuition, but people don't recognize that possibility. Instead, they fixate on the mistakes and lose faith in the algorithm. Simmons points out, "People want algorithms to be perfect and expect them to be perfect, even though what we really want is for them to simply be a little better than the humans."
The scholars also found that you could persuade people to use the algorithms if you gave them an ability to adjust the computer's recommendation slightly. Of course, the algorithm's predictions and recommendations become less accurate when humans intervene in this manner. However, the researchers found that you only have to give people an ability to adjust the algorithm slightly to enhance adoption. Providing them an ability to adjust more substantially does not increase adoption more than offering a slight adjustment possibility. Thus, you might be willing to tolerate a bit of degradation in the algorithm's accuracy simply because giving people some sense of control increases adoption of the computer-assisted decision-making system. For more on this research, see the video below in which Massey and Simmons are interviewed about the research.
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