Meaning of the computer says no | Babel Free

Definitions

Phrase. [C2]

Examples

“This was no human assessor, however: just an algorithm triggered by what was considered an ‘out of character transaction’. The computer says no. My subsequent demand that the bank reimburse me for the extra cost I had incurred as a result of its software vetoing my first purchase attempt, was, needless to say, rejected.”

“My bank accounts were still under my old name, which legally no longer existed. For months I had to carry around a large folder containing my old ID and a copy of the court order declaring my name change. Even then, human clerks and bank tellers would sometimes see the discrepancy, shrug and say “the computer says no” while denying me access to my accounts.”

“What if, the next time he needs to renew his passport for a family holiday, the computer says no? How can he be sure his life won’t unravel in some faceless official’s hands?”

“Vardag, one of the UK’s highest-paid divorce lawyers, said the judge had reached a “bad decision” and that he had “decided, effectively, ‘the computer says no, you’re divorced’”.”

CEFR level