 | AlgoSoc 2025: The Future of Public Values in the Algorithmic Society Cultuurhuis Felix Meritis Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 10-11, 2025 |
| Conference website | https://algosoc.org/events/algosoc-international-conference-2025-the-future-of-public-values-in-the-algorithmic-society |
| Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=algosoc2025 |
| Submission deadline | September 30, 2024 |
| Notification of acceptance | November 15, 2024 |
| Acknowledgments | AlgoSoc is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) (Gravitation #024.005.017) |
Conference Theme
Realising public values in the Algorithmic Society is only in part a technological challenge, and there are limits to what can be achieved with value-sensitive technology design. More than anything, realising public values in AI, algorithms and computational infrastructures is a profound societal challenge that involves a whole ecosystem of actors and depends on the complex social, cultural, economic, technical, organisational, and institutional contexts, in which these systems are grounded, used, and contested. Similarly, public values are not static but develop dynamically in response to new technologies, social transformations, (political) power struggles, and the myriad interactions of people with technologies.
Current regulatory approaches around the world aim to make digital technology more responsible, more ethical, and more cognisant of the values that characterise the societies in which they are embedded. The EU AI Act is a case in point, seeking to make AI trustworthy and ensuring that “AI systems respect fundamental rights, safety and ethical principles.” The primary goal of the US Executive Order for example is that AI systems function as intended, are resilient against misuse or dangerous modifications, are ethically developed and operated in a secure manner, and are compliant with applicable Federal laws and policies. In China, Generative AI must adhere to “Core Socialist Values”. Common to all these approaches is that they are technology-centric, concentrating on the process of developing and deploying AI products and services in society.
The goal of the AlgoSoc 2025 conference is to re-center the debate on public values in AI, algorithms and their computational infrastructures from a primarily technological to a societal challenge. This conference will provide a platform for research that:
- Explores how the widespread integration of AI, algorithms and their computational infrastructures into society is changing institutions, decision-making powers, professionals, and citizens;
- Revisits official narratives about public values and asks difficult but necessary questions about which and whose values we need to discuss, and how they are changing in response to the “AI-ification” of our society;
- Investigates AI, algorithms and their computational infrastructures not only from the perspective of innovation, but also from the perspective of users, communities, and institutions, who experience AI in their everyday lives and shape it through their interactions;
- Helps develop a broader societal perspective on governance and oversight that goes beyond popular techno-centric approaches and embraces the complexity of social dynamics and interactions;
- Promotes forward looking approaches that help us anticipate the future of public values in the algorithmic society and deliberate the governance of long-term developments.
These overarching research challenges can be explored within sectors of society such as the health, justice, or media. The conference also welcomes submissions looking at other sectors or cut across multiple sectorial domains. We aim for a rich diversity of methodological approaches and invite theoretical contributions, legal and philosophical reflections, case studies, institutional and market analyses, and empirical and foresight studies. We particularly invite submissions that are multi- or interdisciplinary in nature. These can range from law, economics, computer science, computational social science, media studies, platform studies to communication science, and beyond.
The conference organising committee invites paper abstracts reflecting on one or more of (but not restricted to) the following themes:
- Conceptualisations of public values, and how these are changing under the impact of AI, algorithms and their computational infrastructures, and across sectors
- Algorithmic decision-making ecosystems: actors, value chains, computational infrastructures, and interdependencies
- Governing public values: concepts, methods, and changing institutions of power
- The role of sandboxes in realising public values
- Responsible machine learning
- AI, autonomy, and dependence
- How AI, algorithms and their computational infrastructures may change the life and rights of everyday users
- Global perspectives on public values
- New methods and approaches towards studying public values in the algorithmic society
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts should be between 500-800 words, and submitted through EasyChair.
The deadline for submitting abstracts is September 30, 2024
Abstracts will be peer-reviewed anonymously. Therefore avoid including authors' names, affiliations, or any information that could identify them in the abstract. Refer to previous work in the third person and ensure that the submission itself does not reveal your identity.
Abstracts will be selected based on quality, alignment with conference themes, and potential to trigger high-level discussion on the conference’s themes. We strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to submit their work, as we aim to curate a program that reflects a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
To ensure that submissions are evaluated on an equal basis, we request that you submit an abstract of 500-800 words. Full papers will nog be considered. Submissions must be in English.
Submitters can only be the first author on three submissions max. There is no limit on submissions in general, only for the first author.
We particularly welcome work in progress. The conference offers an opportunity to discuss ongoing research, receive feedback, and gain new perspectives on the realisation of public values in the algorithmic society. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be required to submit an extended abstract or full paper draft by March 1st, ahead of the conference. These drafts will be circulated to all conference participants.
Authors will be notified of acceptance of their abstract by November 15th, 2024.
We aim to invite selected abstracts for publication in a dedicated special issue of a leading journal.
Invitation for a curated panel is possible in some cases.
Timeline
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Deadline Call for Abstracts: |
30 September, 2024 |
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Notification of acceptance: |
15 November, 2024 |
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Registration open: |
2 December, 2024 |
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Conference: |
10-11 April, 2025 |
Registration & Venue
Participation in the conference is free of charge for presenters with an accepted abstract. Participants and presenters will need to cover their own travel and accommodation costs.
Registration will open on 2 December 2024.
The conference will be held in-person at Felix Meritis, a cultural venue in the heart of Amsterdam. Address: Keizersgracht 324, 1016 EZ Amsterdam, on 10-11 April 2025.
Not all rooms in Felix Meritis are wheelchair accessible, but we have taken this into account when planning the conference. We will only be using the rooms that are accessible. There is an elevator, and the conference is fully wheelchair accessible.
We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all attendees. If you encounter any barriers or require assistance during the conference (due to disability or health issues), please do not hesitate to contact us at conference2025@algosoc.org
Travel Grant
Scholars from lower-middle-income countries, scholars at risk, and scholars in precarious positions without access to funding may be eligible for a travel grant that AlgoSoc is aiming to make available.
Organising committee
- Prof. Natali Helberger University of Amsterdam
- Prof. Claes de Vreese University of Amsterdam
- Prof. José van Dijck Utrecht University
- Dr. Seda Gürses Delft University of Technology
- Prof. Corien Prins Tilburg University
- Prof. Floris Bex Utrecht University
- Prof. Daniel Oberski Utrecht University
- Prof. Julia van Weert University of Amsterdam
- Dr. Charis Papaevangelou University of Amsterdam
- Dr. Yefim Shulman Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Marilù Miotto Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Tynke Schepers Tilburg University
- Joris de Vries University of Amsterdam
- Nathalie van Doorn University of Amsterdam
Invited Speakers
Keynotes
Marietje Schaake - international policy director at Stanford University Cyber Policy Center and international policy fellow at Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and former member of the European Parliament
prof. Tamar Sharon - chair of the department of Ethics and Political Philosophy and co-director of iHub at Radboud University
Contact
Email: conference2025@algosoc.org
About AlgoSoc
The Gravitation Program “Public Values in the Algorithmic Society” (AlgoSoc), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, is a response to the urgent need for an informed societal perspective on automation and automated decision-making. Grounded in a deep understanding of the systemic changes that ADS entail for core public institutions, for society, and for how public values are conceptualized and ultimately realised, AlgoSoc develops solutions for the design of governance frameworks needed to complement technology-driven initiatives in the algorithmic society. The program is a 10-year collaboration between 5 universities in the Netherlands: the University of Amsterdam, Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Delft University of Technology, and Tilburg University. The principal investigators are Prof. Natali Helberger and Prof. Claes de Vreese (scientific directors), Prof. Corien Prins, Dr. Seda Gürses, Prof. José van Dijck, and Prof. Moniek Buijzen.
Website: www.algosoc.org