Algorithmic governance: Developing a research agenda through the power of collective intelligence

We are living in an algorithmic age where mathematics and computer science are coming together in powerful new ways to influence, shape and guide our behaviour and the governance of our societies. As these algorithmic governance structures proliferate, it is vital that we ensure their effectiveness and legitimacy. That is, we need to ensure that they are an effective means for achieving a legitimate policy goal that are also procedurally fair, open and unbiased. But how can we ensure that algorithmic governance structures are both? This article shares the results of a collective intelligence workshop that addressed exactly this question. The workshop brought together a multidisciplinary group of scholars to consider (a) barriers to legitimate and effective algorithmic governance and (b) the research methods needed to address the nature and impact of specific barriers. An interactive management workshop technique was used to harness the collective intelligence of this multidisciplinary group. This method enabled participants to produce a framework and research agenda for those who are concerned about algorithmic governance. We outline this research agenda below, providing a detailed map of key research themes, questions and methods that our workshop felt ought to be pursued. This builds upon existing work on research agendas for critical algorithm studies in a unique way through the method of collective intelligence

Research themes in big data analytics for policymaking:Insights from a mixed-methods systematic literature review

The use of big data and data analytics are slowly emerging in public policy-making, and there are calls for systematic reviews and research agendas focusing on the impacts that big data and analytics have on policy processes. This paper examines the nascent field of big data and data analytics in public policy by reviewing the literature with bibliometric and qualitative analyses. The study encompassed scientific publications gathered from SCOPUS (N = 538). Nine bibliographically coupled clusters were identified, with the three largest clusters being big data's impact on the policy cycle, data-based decision-making, and productivity. Through the qualitative coding of the literature, our study highlights the core of the discussions and proposes a research agenda for further studies.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Examining Philosophy of Technology Using Grounded Theory Methods

A qualitative study was conducted to examine the philosophy of technology of K-12 technology leaders, and explore the influence of their thinking on technology decision making. The research design aligned with CORBIN and STRAUSS grounded theory methods, and I proceeded from a research paradigm of critical realism. The subjects were school technology directors and instructional technology specialists, and data collection consisted of interviews and a written questionnaire. Data analysis involved the use of grounded theory methods including memo writing, open and axial coding, constant comparison, the use of purposive and theoretical sampling, and theoretical saturation of categories. Three broad philosophy of technology views were widely held by participants: an instrumental view of technology, technological optimism, and a technological determinist perspective that saw technological change as inevitable. Technology leaders were guided by two main approaches to technology decision making, represented by the categories Educational goals and curriculum should drive technology, and Keep up with Technology (or be left behind). The core category and central phenomenon that emerged was that technology leaders approached technology leadership by placing greater emphasis on keeping up with technology, being influenced by an ideological orientation to technological change, and being concerned about preparing students for a technological future

THE CORRELATION BETWEEN MORAL LEXICON AND VIOLENT PROTESTS

Various distinct, discrete, and dispersed factors can transform a non-violent social movement into a violent social movement, making such transitions extremely challenging to predict. In this thesis, I develop an analytical approach for predicting the mobilization of violent social movements using a newly expanded multilingual Moral Foundations Dictionary to quantify references to moral categories in geo-referenced social media feeds. This is combined with event data on the timing and location of violent protests in Africa to develop an analytic framework for large-scale, high-resolution assessment and predictions of violent political protests. The evidence shows that a significant relationship exists between social media messages with moral content and the probability of violent protest, which significantly increases the chances that a social movement becomes hostile and violent.Major, United States ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Beyond the Hype:‘Acceptable Futures’ for AI and Robotic Technologies in Healthcare

Acknowledgements For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. The authors would also like to thank the interviewees who gave up their time to participate in this study. Funding This research was funded in whole by the Wellcome Trust [213643/Z/18/Z].Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Innovation, diffusion and catching up in the fifth long wave

Does the new technological paradigm based on information and communication technologies (ICTs) create new windows of opportunity or further obstacles for catching up countries? The paper discusses this question by taking neo-Schumpeterian long wave theory as the basic framework of analysis. According to this approach, the current rapid diffusion of the ICT-based paradigm marks the initial phase of a fifth long wave period. The first part of the paper focuses on the major changes that characterize the techno-economic system in the fifth long wave, and points out that the new paradigm is leading to several new opportunities for developing economies. If public policies will actively foster the development process by rapidly investing in the new technologies and in the related infrastructures and skills, these new opportunities will indeed be successfully exploited. The second part of the paper shifts the focus to the socio-institutional system, and argues that institutional changes driven by some major actors in the industrialized world are creating a new international regime where the scope and the resources available for State interventions are significantly reduced. The paper concludes by suggesting the existence of a temporary mismatch between the techno-economic and the socio-institutional system, which makes the catching up process more difficult for large parts of the developing world.Innovation; ICTs; catching up; long waves; global governance

Еволюція людини: межі технократизму

The purpose of this article is to define the limits of technocentrism through the analysis of the limiting opportunities of technique and technology from certain value positions. Theoretical basis. The philosophical anthropology of Helmut Plessner (the axiological direction in anthropology and neo-institutionalism) was the research methodology. Originality. The institutional use of technology gives it the character of a social phenomenon and turns it into technology. The ability of individuals, which is aimed at achieving a certain goal with the help of certain sustainable techniques, is not yet technology in itself but is only a certain author’s technique. Such subjectively acquired technique can be turned into socially used technology, otherwise, it will be lost. Technology is a technique that has gained recognition and has been mastered by those who did not invent it but used the algorithm proposed by the inventor, a detailed and functionally sound explanation, a method of constructing this technique. But the main thing is that technology is a technique that has received an acceptable justification for society. Conclusions. Technology is not only a means of achieving the goal, it is a way for a human being to transform the world. As such, technology is a component of human himself/herself and changes human – more precisely, a human being changed himself/herself with the help of technologies that he/she creates. However, this creates certain limits of such transformations: technology cannot replace humans in their ability to self-reproduce. Technology is always an element of social communication: the success of communication is interdependent on the success of the technology. Social modernization includes new technologies, but a more important component of social modernization is the new values for which these new technologies are created. Human evolution generates the technocratism at a certain stage. But to the extent that technocracy begins to contradict the values of humans and society, it loses its source of development – human creativity.Мета. Визначити межі техноцентризму завдяки аналізу обмеження можливостей техніки і технологій з певних ціннісних позицій. Теоретичний базис. Методологію дослідження визначили: філософська антропологія Гельмута Плеснера, аксіологічний напрям в антропології та неоінституціоналізм. Наукова новизна. Інституційне використання техніки надає їй характеру соціального феномену і перетворює на технологію. Уміння окремих індивідів, яке спрямоване на досягнення мети за допомогою деяких сталих прийомів, ще не є власне технологією, а лише певною авторською технікою. Таку суб’єктивно набуту техніку можна перетворити на соціально використовувану технологію, інакше її буде втрачено. Технологія – це техніка, яка набула визнання та яку опанували ті, хто її не винаходив, але використовував запропонований винахідником алгоритм, розгорнуте і функціонально обґрунтоване пояснення, спосіб конструювання цієї техніки. Однак, головним є те, що технологія – це техніка, яка отримала прийнятне для суспільства виправдання. Висновки. Технологія є не лише засобом досягнення мети, вона – шлях людини у перетворенні світу. В такій якості технологія є складовою самої людини й змінює людину – точніше людина змінює себе за допомогою технологій, які сама розробляє. Однак, це створює певні межі для таких перетворень: технологія не може підміняти людину у її здатності до самовідтворення. Технології завжди є елементом соціальної комунікації: успіх комунікації є залежним від успіху технології. Соціальна модернізація містить у собі нові технології. Більш важливою складовою соціальної модернізації є нові цінності, заради яких і створюють нові технології. Еволюція людини породжує на певному етапі технократизм. Однак, коли технократія починає суперечити цінностям людини і суспільства, вона втрачає своє джерело розвитку – людську творчість

Technological expectations and global politics:Three waves of enthusiasm in non-governmental remote sensing

Media, industry and academia frequently depict the commercialization of satellite imagery as geospatial revolution with transformational effects on global politics. In doing so, they follow an understanding that isolates technology from politics. While this division is still prevalent in International Relations, recent scholarship has promoted the intricate relationship of technology with politics as socio-material. Adding to this literature, I draw on the sociology of expectations to propose an alternative reading of non-governmental remote sensing. For this purpose, the notion of techno-political barriers is introduced to trace controversies about technological expectations of satellite imagery. Based on expert interviews and document analysis, I identify three waves of enthusiasm, which are characterized by particularly salient expectations and techno-political barriers. The first wave is fuelled by an enthusiasm about the general benefits of visual transparency as opposed to Cold War secrecy. The second wave turns towards non-governmental imagery intelligence for human security. In the third wave satellite imagery joins multiple data streams to support political and business decisions. Taken together, the three-waves model distorts the linear understanding of a revolutionary development but reveals the political and controversial nature of the ongoing commercialization of satellite imagery. As a part of this, non-governmental remote sensing has experienced a focus shift from visual transparency towards geospatial big data. Moreover, the three waves model highlights the persistence of expectations and techno-political barriers in the non-governmental sector with important implications for policymaking and the global impact of commercial satellite imagery

Stakeholder Readiness for Adopting a Big Data Governance Framework in a South African Metropolitan Municipality

Digital transformation in the public sector can lead to innovative ways of working with stakeholders, improved service delivery frameworks, and data-driven societal benefits. However, not all public sector organizations, particularly local governments, are ready to adopt digital technologies such as big data. Governance frameworks are critical for technology management, and key stakeholders must be prepared before technology adoption. Recognizing that top management support is crucial for digital transformation projects, this study looked at the state of readiness of metropolitan municipalities in South Africa to adopt a big data governance framework (BGDF). The study had two objectives: first, to assess the readiness for a big data governance framework, and second, to identify what the respondents considered essential in such a framework. Framed by the technology readiness index (TRI), the study found that the stakeholders were not only ready but also had a good idea of what should be included in the framework. Both of the findings resonate with extant literature. The study concluded that the technology readiness index was suitable for investigating digital transformation readiness and that the proposed big data governance framework is a viable initial option