The Politics of Algorithms
Angèle Christin is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and affiliated faculty in the Sociology Department and Program in Science, Technology, and Society at Stanford University. She studies how algorithms and analytics transform professional values, expertise, and work practices. In a new project, she studies the construction, institutionalization, and reception of predictive algorithms in the U.S. criminal justice system. In this talk, Angèle addresses these points:
1. Algorithms may seem more objective and rational than human beings, but they always involve multiple political choices.
2. Algorithms can reproduce and even reinforce social, racial, and economic inequalities.
3. We need to pay close attention to how algorithms are constructed, implemented, and used in the social world.