People may trust computers more than humans to perform some tasks, study says

People may be willing to rely more on a computer programme than other humans, especially if a task is too challenging, according to a study by the University of Georgia

(Subscribe to our Today's Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click to subscribe for free.) From choosing a song on a playlist to selecting the right size in online shopping, people are increasingly relying on algorithms to make everyday decisions. In fact, people may be willing to rely more on a computer programme than other humans, especially if a task is too challenging, according to a new study titled ‘Humans rely more on algorithms than social influence as a task becomes more difficult’ by the University of Georgia. The study involved 1,500 individuals who evaluated photographs to understand how and when people work with algorithms to process information and make decisions. The volunteers were asked to count the number of people in a crowd, captured in a photograph, and were supplied suggestions generated by a group of people and by an algorithm.