Yesterday I took part in a panel entitled: “Against the rule of algorithms! How do we resume control?” („Wider die Herrschaft der Algorithmen! Wie bekommen wir die Kontrolle zurück?“). It was part of this year’s Media Convention and 10th re:publica.The panel was organised by ARTE and moderated by Carolyn Hoefchen. I discussed with Prof. Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer (director @ Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung in Berlin), Dr. Cornelius Puschmann (project manager @ Humboldt Institut for Internet and Society) and Jonas Schlatterbeck (Senior Social Media Manager ARTE).

Prof. Gigerenzer opened the panel by presenting his co-authored “Digital Manifest” („Digital Manifests“).He pointed at the example of “Big Data Nudgung” and asked whether algorithms had taken control over our everyday live. Subsequently we discussed the risks of an increasing datafication and relevance of algorithms as well as the role of media and governmental organisation. Closing the session all panelists proposed concrete ideas on how to resume control.

pictures (c) Uwe Völkner Fox for MEDIA CONVENTION