Algorithm Inventarium (AI+)

There’s still a general lack of knowledge about how algorithms surround us and determine everyday life in our cities and in many areas of human activity, invisibly and secretly operating through our progressively digitized contexts. The AI+ project addresses the question of how to collaboratively expand society's awareness and resilience around the operation and impact of algorithms, exemplified on the city of Vienna.

Our aim is to locate, dissect, classify and examine algorithms “species” operating behind apps, platforms and other digital tools, in an effort to articulate discovery and discussions beyond the mere mathematical and logical perspectives on algorithms.

GOALS OF THE PROJECT

In line with open innovation and citizen science perspectives, the goal of the online inventarium is to collaboratively enrich a speculative collection of algorithm “species”. An effort to apply more sociolinguistic, ethical, artistic, political and other possible “humanism-centered” perspectives to the emergent field of study of algorithmic culture. With a special focus on thematic intersections between algorithms and topics like mobility, surveillance, policies, discrimination, local cultures, heritage, sustainability: (1) culture and heritage; (2) privacy and surveillance; (3) platform economy and consumption; (4) sustainability and quality of life; (5) civic activity and social movements.

The AI+ initiative also works on the development of research tools and materials for discussion, generating a collaborative open knowledge base about algorithmic culture. For this, we are planning a series of experimental interventions combining action research approaches with digital arts, with collaborations at the local scale (in cities like Vienna or Boston) for a series of artistic and cultural co-creations.

We align with the perspective of the Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism, while contributing to ongoing research discussing how to make existing and possible algorithms more visible and explicit, in line with previous initiatives like the Atlas of Automation (from Algorithm Watch) or the Observatory of Algorithms with Social Impact (from Eticas Foundation).

AI+ serves as a demonstrator for the Open Innovation Research Infrastructure.

CC-BY 4.0 ewv. audio2video-selfportraits@berlin 2019

HOW TO JOIN AI+

In line with open innovation and citizen science perspectives, this online inventarium aims to collaboratively develop a collection of algorithm “species”, as well as to organize a series of online and face-to-face experimentations at the intersection between public participation and artistic activism. If you are part of an institution working on algorithms and its impact, a professional or “amateur” researcher on the topic, a digital end-user interested in social implications of technology, or an artist / creator / designer looking for new approaches to algorithm culture… We need you! :)

• [+] Contribute to the inventarium wiki [coming soon!]
• [+] Join our Slack channel
• [+] Be part of our Zenodo community
• [+] Add to Zotero references

For other questions or more general info on the project, do not hesitate to connect with the project lead: Eveline Wandl-Vogt (digitalhumanism(at)oeaw.ac.at).   

Cooperations

Project Partners:

• exploration space 
• Ars Electronica research institute “knowledge for humanity” (k4h+) 
• Ars Electronica
• metaLAB Harvard UNIVERSITY 
• Berkman Klein Center for internet and society, Harvard University
• CERN Idea Square
• Dimmons, Internet Interdisciplinary Institute, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
• The Institute of Technological Ethics
• knowledge management academy (km-a)
• Social City Vienna

With contributions of the following partners:

• AI Impact Alliance
• Ars Electronica research institute “auditory cultures”, Ars Electronica
• CRI
• Gesellschaft für Digitale Ethik
• NamSor
• Knowledge for Development