Watching an algorithm deny a friend's loan reminded me of simpler times.

Automated systems now decide fates with no room for human stories.

4 comments

4 Comments

Read a piece about how these systems are built to avoid risk, not to help people. Makes the whole thing feel even more broken.

hollyprice1mo ago

Ugh, @the_piper's story hits home. It's all just rule-checking now, zero common sense. A missing number or a wrong form field and the whole thing explodes, leaving people stuck in the system... like that doctor's code error holding up payment for weeks.

sagecooper1mo ago

That part about "no room for human stories" is exactly it. My cousin just had a medical claim auto-denied because a line item code was missing. No one even looked at the actual doctor's note that explained everything. It feels so cold, you know? There used to be a person you could call, someone who could actually listen and fix a simple mistake. Now you just argue with a help page that keeps looping you back to the same useless FAQ.

the_piper1mo ago

Watched a friend spend hours on hold with her insurance after a similar auto-denial. Her doctor filed a form wrong, so the system kicked it back. She finally got a human who said, yeah, I see the note here, but my hands are tied until the code is fixed. The doctor's office had to resubmit, and it added two weeks to her getting paid. Felt like watching someone shout into a void.