From Arabic to AI: the ancient roots of the algorithm; The Guardian, September 20, 2018

Steven Poole, The Guardian; From Arabic to AI: the ancient roots of the algorithm

"To this day, algorithm is still just a fancy name for a set of rules. If this, then that; if that is true, then do this. In finance, especially, the word is often shortened to “algo”, which via “algae” evokes a sense of inexorable biological growth. But perhaps if we thought of algorithms as mere humdrum flowcharts, drawn up by humans, we’d be better able to see where responsibility really lies if, or when, they go wrong."