If...Then: Algorithmic Power and Politics

This book explores the political aspects of informational infrastructure, focusing on how algorithms shape social and cultural life. It argues that the most important aspect of algorithms is their ability to become part of social practices and to be enlisted as powerful brokers of information, communication, and society. The book offers a novel understanding of the power and politics of algorithmic life through case studies that explore the material-discursive dimensions of software.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 09 August 2018
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

In the digital age, we find ourselves immersed in a world where Google's search algorithms wield significant power over our access to information, Facebook's News Feed algorithms shape our social interactions, and Netflix's collaborative filtering algorithms dictate the media content we consume. As a result, our lives have become increasingly shaped by algorithms, leading to what some have termed "algorithmic lives." However, it is important to recognize that life is not entirely controlled or determined by these algorithms. We are not mere victims of an ever-expanding artificial intelligence. Instead, this book seeks to explore the ways in which informational infrastructure can be considered political, particularly in its ability to shape social and cultural life.

Rather than focusing solely on how technologies shape or are shaped by political institutions, this book takes a broader perspective. It examines the conditions of algorithmic life, delving into how algorithms operate both materially and discursively to create the foundations for sociality and connectivity. The book argues that the most significant aspect of algorithms is not their technical intricacies but rather their role in becoming integrated into social practices and how different individuals harness their power as powerful brokers of information, communication, and society.

To fully engage with the promises of automation and predictive analytics offered by big data, we must understand the contours of algorithmic life that condition such practices. This book sets out to explore both the specific applications of algorithms and the cultural forms they generate. Through case studies that examine the material-discursive dimensions of software, the book offers a novel understanding of the power and politics of algorithmic life as grounded in real-world examples.

In conclusion, our lives are increasingly shaped by algorithms, but it is crucial to recognize that we are not passive recipients of their influence. By understanding the conditions of algorithmic life and the ways in which different individuals harness their power, we can gain a deeper appreciation of the role that information infrastructure plays in shaping our social and cultural experiences.

Weight: 308g
Dimension: 245 x 171 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190493035