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I'm more worried about corporations run by machine learning systems optimizing for shareholder value. Somebody with access to YC's data should try training a classifier to predict YC success. How far away is the first VC fund run by a machine learning system?

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YC do use machine learning on applicants to predict success already. They don't listen solely to it, but they use it as one of their ranking signals to use google terms.

Interesting. What metrics? Has it worked so far?

If they tell you that it might not work so well.

There's a saying about good measures ceasing to be so when they become targets.

Any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes

Goodhart's Law : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law

Ethnicity, gender, religion. It's okay because a computer is doing it. /s

Yeah, we're not allowed to use high signal attributes because it tells the truth and makes people feel bad. Might as well select people randomly since they won't work for it...

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