Publications

Read our comprehensive reports, analyses and working papers on the impact and ethical questions of algorithmic decision-making, written in collaboration with our network of researchers and civil society experts.

1 August 2023

#dsa #eu #publicsphere

Making sense of the Digital Services Act

How to define platforms’ systemic risks to democracy

It remains unclear how the largest platforms and search engines should go about identifying “systemic risks” to comply with the DSA. AlgorithmWatch outlines a methodology that will serve as a benchmark for how we, as a civil society watchdog, will judge the risk assessments that are being conducting at this very moment.

A data scientist had found that their work (the algorithm depicted on their laptop screen) has ‘jumped’ out of the screen and threatens to cause problems with a variety of different industries. Here a hospital, bus and siren could represent healthcare, transport and emergency services. The data scientist looks shocked and worried about what trouble the AI may cause there.
Claudio Schwarz @ Unsplash

6 July 2023

Country Analyses

New Study: Data Practices and Surveillance in the World of Work

Workers are increasingly being digitally surveilled, datafied and algorithmically managed in Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, a qualitative analysis by AlgorithmWatch shows.

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15 March 2023

Press release

New study on AI in the workplace: Workers need control options to ensure co-determination

Employees must be included in the implementation process, if so-called Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are introduced to their workplace. Such systems are used by many companies for automated decision-making (ADM) already. They are often based on Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) draft is designed to safeguard workers’ rights, but such legislative measures won’t be enough. An AlgorithmWatch study funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation explains how workers’ co-determination can be practically achieved in this regard.

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13 March 2023

AI and the Challenge of Sustainability: The SustAIn Magazine’s new edition

In the second issue of our SustAIn Magazine, we show what prevents AI systems from being sustainable and how to find better solutions.

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23 February 2023

New study highlights crucial role of trade unions for algorithmic transparency and accountability in the world of work

Our report shows that trade unions are now called upon to focus on practical advice and guidance to empower union representatives and negotiators to deal with the challenges that automation puts onto workers.

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7 September 2022

AutoCheck workshops on Automated Decision-Making Systems and Discrimination

Understanding causes, recognizing cases, supporting those affected: documents for implementing a workshop.

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28 June 2022

New magazine on how sustainable AI can be put into practice

The environmental, social and economic sustainability costs of AI urgently need to be addressed by academia, industry, civil society and policy makers – based on evidence. With the first edition of our SustAIn magazine, we hope to fuel this debate.

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21 June 2022

How to combat algorithmic discrimination? A guidebook by AutoCheck

We are faced with automated decision-making systems almost every day and they might be discriminating, without us even knowing about it. A new guidebook helps to better recognize such cases and support those affected.

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Susan Q Yin ǀ Unsplash

27 January 2022

Data altruism: how the EU is screwing up a good idea

In a new AlgorithmWatch discussion paper, data regulation expert Winfried Veil argues that the Data Governance Act is not only annoyingly bureaucratic, but a missed opportunity to breathe life into the “Data for Good” idea.

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