10 Apr 2025

* Call for Abstracts * AlgoSoc International Conference 2025: The Future of Public Values in the Algorithmic Society

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.

Call for Abstracts

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

Abstracts should be between 500-800 words, and submitted through EasyChair:
AlgoSoc 2025 (AlgoSoc International Conference) (easychair.org)

The deadline for submitting abstracts is September 30, 2024.

Please note that abstracts should not be submitted anonymously. However, they will be peer-reviewed anonymously. 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.

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

Deadline Call for Abstracts:	30 September, 2024
Notification of acceptance:	15 November, 2024
Registration open:	2 December, 2024
Conference:	10-11 April, 2025

Registration and 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, 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.

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