AlgoSoc: Public Values in the Algorithmic Society (2023-2032)
In the evolving algorithmic society, key decisions are not made by humans alone. Datafication, sophisticated algorithms, ever more sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) models mean that Automated Decision Systems (ADS) now complement and in part replace human decision-making.
While outsourcing decision-making to (quasi-)automated systems may yield better decisions and faster and more efficient services, it transforms established routines, checks and balances, and institutions of decision-making, leading to new challenges for the realization of public values and unprecedented shifts in decision-making power. In light of the disruptive power of ADS and its implications for society, policymakers and academics alike have been pushing for ‘human-centric’ and value-sensitive ADS technology. But realizing public values in ADS requires a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, political, and economic realities of ADS; how technology, institutions, human actors, and public values interact; and the effects this has on people and society.
Public Values in the Algorithmic Society (AlgoSoc) is a response to the urgent need for an informed societal perspective on automation and automated decision-making. Grounded in a deep understanding of the systemic changes that ADS entail for core public institutions, for society, and for how public values are realized, AlgoSoc develops solutions for the design of governance frameworks needed to complement technology-driven initiatives in the algorithmic society.
AlgoSoc is funded by the NWO Gravitation Program and runs from 2023 to 2032.