Given that well-calibrated algorithms are more effective than people in the vast majority of scenarios
Given? Which "vast majority of scenarios" are we talking about and where do you get "well-calibrated algorithms" for them?
Deciding how to invest in the stock market. The algorithm for doing better than nearly all active investors is trivial.
Balancing a checkbook and paying bills on time. Software will never 'forget about' a bill.
Drum machines. Most self professed drummers can be replaced by a drum machine, and it'll be able to properly manage 7/4 timing and won't speed up or slow down based on the amount of beer in it's system.
Calendar software. It never forgets or confuses a date or birthday.
Grammar and spell checkers. Obvious.
Writing legible text to paper. Everyone ca...
The recent OKCupid blog, which gwern mentioned in Media Open Thread, investigated the impact of three different factors on users' perceptions of each other: authority (reported match %), profile text (present or absent), and looks.
On the bright side, the authority versus reality match-up came out tied:
If you don't consider that a good outcome, you're not yet sufficiently cynical.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are a thousand words worth?
... Approximately nothing.
And the winner is...