Discussion: Algorithms as Emerging Institutions

In this conversation with Virgilio Almeida, we discuss the idea of seeing algorithms as new institutions because they function as rule sets that shape norms and environments for both humans and machines. As a result, algorithms influence individual behavior and have broad societal implications.

We illustrate this concept with examples of algorithms used in public safety, government platforms, and recommendation systems in various domains. An implication of this concept is that algorithms need to be democratized, much as other complex institutions have been democratized in the past, in order to mitigate the risks they pose to modern societies.

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