Rules, tools and metrics – the social construction of legitimate algorithmization

Partners: Tilburg University & Utrecht University
Type: PhD
Duration: 2023—2026

This project focusses on analyzing how instruments for promoting ‘good’ algorithmic practices are interpreted and used in public organizations, and what effect they ultimately have on both organizational processes and the legitimacy of these organizations. In many public organizations, decisions are increasingly supported by (complex) AI algorithms, for example in the form of predictive policing or triage systems in courts. It is important that such algorithms are used in a legitimate way to build societal trust, and to this end several instruments have been proposed. These instruments are not simply passive representations of reality, but they actively shape organizational practices and relationships, as well as real-world outcomes and perceptions.