Surya Mattu

Artist, investigative journalist, engineer

@suryamattu

Think of Surya Mattu as a data detective. As he writes: "I am interested in figuring out the ways in which algorithmic systems harm people."

Why you should listen

Surya Mattu is a data reporter on Gizmodo's Special Projects Desk and an R&D journalism resident at Eyebeam NYC. As he writes: "My practice combines art, investigative journalism, engineering and creative technology. The aim is to reverse-engineer the specific ways in which the tools or technology we create are imbued with the ethics of the culture in which they're created. Currently, I am a data reporter. Previously, I was a contributing researcher at ProPublica, where I worked on "Machine Bias," a series that aims to highlight how algorithmic systems can be biased and discriminate against people."

Surya Mattu’s TED Talk

Kashmir Hill, Surya Mattu
What your smart devices know (and share) about you
8 minutes 56 seconds
Once your smart devices can talk to you, who else are they talking to? Kashmir Hill and Surya Mattu wanted to find out -- so they outfitted Hill's apartment with 18 different internet-connected devices and built a special router to track how often they contacted their servers and see what they were reporting back. The results were surprising -- and more than a little bit creepy. Learn more about what the data from your smart devices reveals about your sleep schedule, TV binges and even your tooth-brushing habits -- and how tech companies could use it to target and profile you. (This talk contains mature language.)
Posted Jul 2018

Surya Mattu

Why you should listen

Surya Mattu’s TED Talk

More news and ideas from Surya Mattu

Kashmir Hill and Surya Mattu win Tech in Journalism Award and more TED news

Personally speaking: Notes from Session 10 of TED2018