As algorithms permeate more aspects of daily life, how can the law ensure that we remain in control?
A limited number of spaces have opened up for a workshop on algorithms and law organised by Professor Lilian Edwards at the University of Strathclyde. PhD students and early career researchers are invited to take part in the event, which will take place on 15th February from 12:30-17:00h. Speakers include Professor Lillian Edwards (Strathclyde), Michael Veale (UCL), Lorna Woods (Essex), Freddie Borgesius (Amsterdam) and Thomas Höppner (Berlin).
The workshop will consider the legal, social and technical dimensions of algorithms and their role in governance. As we move further towards network-connected material life described as the ‘Internet of Things’, the status of algorithms as mechanisms for regulating social activity becomes evermore important. The afternoon session will discuss possible remedies to the problems of algorithmic governance including the lack of political visibility and the lack of discretionary decision making in current computerised systems. These are issues that will be familiar to digital economy scholars that have studied platforms such as YouTube and its ContentID technology for filtering potentially infringing videos.
It will surely be a stimulating afternoon and I encourage interested researchers to register for the event here.
Those who are keen for more discussion on algorithms, please note that we will be discussing a similar topic at our PhD research development group meeting the evening before on 14th February.