Living with the Algorithm - Toward a New Social Contract in the Age of AI (original) (raw)

2019, SSRN Electronic Journal

Nowadays, algorithms are constantly used in different areas of life to improve the quality of services, enhance user experience, and optimize efficiency. Their use is very diverse: from advertising and selecting prospective students in university admissions processes to detecting issues in tax declarations. However, challenges surrounding privacy, security, autonomy, and many other areas go hand-in-hand with opportunities. One particularly clear issue that arises from this widespread use of algorithms is a lack of awareness. This is true of not only the side legislators who struggle to regulate emerging technologies, but also citizens that are uninformed about the ever-increasing infiltration of algorithms in various contexts. Thus, algo-awareness is of critical importance these days. As defined by the European Commission, the term "algo-awareness" refers to the spreading of an evidence-informed understanding of algorithms, with regard to their role in online platforms as well as emerging issues and opportunities surrounding them. i The timing is critical both for European citizens as well as citizens all over the globe. The European Union, which has been forming a strategy for artificial intelligence (AI) since 2018, ii most recently (on February 19 th 2020) published a White Paper on AI titled "A European approach to excellence and trust." iii Indeed, the discussion of algorithms is central to any discussion about AI which has been simply defined as "a collection of technologies that combine data, algorithms, and computing power". iv In a nutshell, the Commission seems to be taking a twofold regulatory and investment-oriented approach to AI "with a twin objective to promote the uptake of AI and of addressing the risks associated with certain uses of this new technology". v The White Paper, which is aimed at listing and evaluating i European Commission's Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, Algo:aware: Raising awareness on algorithms (n.p:n.p, 2018), 120. There is indeed an algo-aware project launched by the European Commission that seeks to solve both of these information gaps. The purpose of the project has been to come up with a variety of policy options, technical solutions and private sector and civil society-driven actions, to inform EU policy-making in order to maximise the effectiveness of future algorithm regulations, as well as building general knowledge of algorithms.