Workshops

The workshops series included three events organised in Uppsala, Helsinki and Tromsø between 2019 and 2022.

You can watch talks by scholars and artists on the topic of "Arts, Algorithms, and Politics" held at the Universitet i Tromsø (UiT) under Workshop 3.
Aims

This series of exploratory workshops facilitated empirically driven research that reveals the implications of contextual variables on the forms and effects of algorithmic governance in diverse social, political, and cultural contexts. New modes of collective action enabled by algorithm-driven technologies raise pressing questions ranging from responsibility to justice and (un)intended consequences. To address these issues, we need a more detailed understanding of how algorithmic governance functions across sectors and societies.

The general aims of the workshops were to:

  • Explore the theoretical concept of ‘algorithmic governance’ from different backgrounds and map out an interdisciplinary comparative research agenda;
  • Investigate how algorithmic processes can be identified and studied empirically;
  • Examine algorithmic practices of governance across sectors (industrial, governmental, societal) and in an international comparative perspective (Nordic countries, Western Europe, Russia)
Workshop 1: Developing a framework for comparative analysis of algorithmic governance

Uppsala, 9-10 May 2019

Day 1/09.05. 

11-12:30 - Getting to know each other + 'Homework' presentations by all participants 

13:30 - 15:30 Case-based group work on 'Algorithms in Context: Interdisciplinary Approaches'  

16:00 - 17:00 Visit to Social Robotics Lab (Uppsala University)) 

19:00 - 20:00 Augmented reality city tour 

  

Day 2/10.05.

09:99 - 12:00 Writing Workshop "Scholars Anonymous" (draft joint output "Interdisciplinary overview of the status of 'Algorithmic Governance' in terms of comparative research and contextualisation") 

13:00 - 15:00 Ideation and Best Practice Exchange Workshop "Outreach – How to Talk about Algorithmic Governance to the General Audience"  

  

Daria Gritsenko, Finland 

Francesco Reda, Finland 

Gabriel Pereira, Denmark/UK 

Annette Markham, Denmark/Australia 

Mykola Makhortykh, Netherlands/Switzerland 

Mikael Laaksoharju, Sweden 

Maren Schuster, Germany 

Mariëlle Wijermars, Netherlands 

Francis Lee, Sweden 

Matt Wood, UK 

Beata Mäihänniemi, Finland 

Jenni Hakkarainen, Finland 
Workshop 2: Overcoming methodological challenges in the study of algorithmic governance

Helsinki, 19-20 September 

Day 1/19.9.

10-10:15 Intro  

10:15-11 Joint framework paper follow up  

11-11:30 Discussion: From joint framework towards a special issue  

11:30-13 Open space - presentation of individual case/topic interests  

14-15 Talk by Jarno Koponen (YLE, Finnish national broadcasting company) + Q&A on how algorithms are used in media  

15-15:30 Prof. Aneesh lightning talk on methods to study algorithmic governance + discussion  

15:30-17 Group work: Methodological challenges and solutions in studying AGiC

 

Day 2/20.9. 

8:45 - 9:30 Talk by Maikki Sipinen (The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment) + Q&A on the AI policy in Finland and the EU  

9:30-11:30 Forming alliances for collaboration and work on an idea paper/draft outline (writing time)  

12:30-13:30 Presentations of group/individual ideas, immediate feedback  

13:30 - 14:30 Writing time: Work on the outlines continue, discussion of the Special Issue proposal  

14:30 - 15:00 Feedback, practicalities and way forward  

Daria Gritsenko, Finland 

Francesco Reda, Finland 

Gabriel Pereira, Denmark/UK 

Holger Pötzsch, Norway 

Mykola Makhortykh, Netherlands/ Switzerland 

Mikael Laaksoharju, Sweden 

Maren Schuster, Germany 

Mariëlle Wijermars, Netherlands 

Riikka Koulu, Finland 

Aneesh Aneesh, USA 

Beata Mäihänniemi, Finland 

Patrick Kapsch, Denmark 
Workshop 3: Responses to Algorithmic Governance: Algorithms, Art, and Politics

Day 1/20.5.

9:00 - 9:15 Introduction to the workshop (Holger Pötzsch) 

9:15 -10:00 Artist Talk 1: Simon Weckert (Germany): Ubuntu – The Other Me!  

10:00 - 10:30 Lightning talks 1 

  • Daria Gritsenko, Algorithmic Governance as Governance by Design  
  • Mykola Makhortykh, Web Search as a Form of Algorithmic Governance  

10:45 - 11:30 Artist Talk 2: Gabriel Pereira (Brazil/UK): Towards Refusing as a Critical Technical Practice: Struggling with Hegemonic Computer Vision 

11:30 - 12:15   Lightning talks 2 

  • Felix Münch, The Agent Smith Dilemma Reloaded  
  • Mikael Laaksoharju, The World of Forms – Reason in the Data Age  
  • Holger Pötzsch, Algorithms at Work – Control and Resistance in the Digital Economy 

12:15 - 12:30 Closing remarks (Daria Gritsenko) 

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14:00 - 16:00 WORKSHOP: Arts, Algorithms, and Politics – Scholarly and Artistic responses to Algorithmic Governance 

 

Day 2/21.5.

10:00 - 12:00 Scholars: evaluation and future planning WS (gallery) 

12:00 Exhibition opening with light lunch (Jet and Holger) 

14:00 - 15:00 Artists panel discussion (Simon and Gabriel in conversation with Daria) 

Art Interventions exhibition for the general public (free entry) 

Daria Gritsenko, Finland 

Holger Pötzsch, Norway 

Gabriel Pereira, Denmark/UK 

Simon Weckert, Germany 

Mykola Makhortykh, Switzerland 

Mikael Laaksoharju, Sweden 

Felix Münch, Germany 
Talks by scholars and artists on the topic of "Arts, Algorithms, and Politics"