Understanding the basic research questions of the emerging field of Critical Algorithm Studies.

The seminar will introduce participants to the emerging field of Critical Algorithm Studies. Blocked weekly discussions of assigned reading material will focus on interdependencies between society, culture and algorithms, and critical reflections of their ethics and politics.

Preliminary list of topics:

• What constitutes an algorithm? What do users/developers/society understand about algorithms?
• How and why can algorithmic systems have embedded values and biases?
• How can we conceptualize algorithmic fairness, think about ethics in algorithmic systems and deal with accountability in complex algorithmic assemblages made of developers, users, management, law, code, computers, and many others?
• How does culture and society influence the creation of algorithms and vica versa?
• How can algorithmic management foster erasure of human judgement through increasing rationalization and automation? What are benefits and issues here?
• What methods and approaches are available to study algorithmic systems?
• What possible futures are currently being imagined?

Many topics in this seminar are very much discussed at the moment. We provide the following list as a motivational introduction:

• http://www.nature.com/news/there-is-a-blind-spot-in-ai-research-1.20805
• http://world-information.net/virtual/painted-by-numbers/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1TGJJ-F-fE
• http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2016/10/207759-battling-algorithmic-bias/fulltext

After an initial talk at the beginning of the semester (introduction and preliminary topic assignment), the remaining sessions will be held weekly towards the end of the semester. During each session one or more participants should present the topic of the week. The presenters are required read the papers on the topic, present the other participants the content and conclusions and prepare a list of discussion points. Each participant has to write a final write-up (maximum length one A4 page) after the presentations reflecting on the content of the seminar.

Grading will be based on the presentation of the papers, participation in the discussions and the final write-up.

The material for this course will include a subset of the reading list of the Social Media Collective. The following blog will feature up-to-date information about the course:

https://algorithmstudies.wordpress.com/

ECTS Breakdown: 3 ECTS = 75h

16h Seminar sessions
20h Presentation (including preparation)
30h Reading of scientific publications (preparation for the discussions)
9h Final write-up
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75h