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.

14 February 2024

#dsa #publicsphere

Ensuring Legitimacy in Stakeholder Engagement: The ‘5 Es’ Framework

The DSA foresees that external stakeholders – such as independent experts, civil society groups, and industry representatives – engage in its rollout and enforcement. To help ensure these processes' legitimacy, we have developed the “5 E’s Framework” encompassing the guiding principles: Equity, Expertise, Effectiveness, Empowering, and Expanding Competencies.

15 December 2023

New study: Research on Microsoft Bing Chat

AI Chatbot produces misinformation about elections

Bing Chat, the AI-driven chatbot on Microsoft’s search engine Bing, makes up false scandals about real politicians and invents polling numbers. Microsoft seems unable or unwilling to fix the problem. These findings are based on a joint investigation by AlgorithmWatch and AI Forensics, the final report of which has been published today. We tested if the chatbot would provide factual answers when prompted about the Bavarian, Hessian, and Swiss elections that took place in October 2023.

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21 November 2023

AI and Sustainability

SustAIn Magazine #3 – A Different Take on AI: We Decide What AI Has To Do for Us

The third and final issue of the SustAIn magazine deals with the question of who could take responsibility for steering AI development in the right direction.

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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.
Yasmin Dwiputri & Data Hazards Project / Better Images of AI / AI across industries / Licenced by CC-BY 4.0

1 August 2023

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.

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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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