By Francesco Amato
Have you ever wondered about the social implications of automated decision-making systems?
In recent years, automated decision-making systems powered by artificial intelligence have become increasingly widespread. These systems have the power to make choices that affect various aspects of our lives, from job applications to loan approvals. It is therefore essential to examine and evaluate their social impact to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability.
A sociodigital lens
Sociodigital research offers valuable perspectives and methods that can be helpful to researchers interested in digital technologies.
A sociodigital approach emphasises the interplay of the social and the digital. It delves into how digital innovations shape social practices and how social dynamics, in turn, influence digital technology developments.
Through this lens, we can look beyond the technical aspects of systems and explore their broader social, cultural, and economic contexts.
These approaches allow us to investigate how power structures, biases, and socio-economic factors interact with automated decision-making systems, shaping outcomes and consequences.
Opening the black box
One of the critical issues surrounding automated decision-making systems is the opacity of their inner functioning.
Often referred to as ‘black boxes’ these systems lack transparency, making it challenging to understand how decisions are made and whether biases may be present.
This opacity can perpetuate inequalities and discrimination, further exacerbating social divisions. To tackle this, researchers and policymakers have called for the development of explainable AI, which aims to provide insight into decision-making processes.
Sociodigital research is essential to effectively assess the social dynamics of these technologies. Only by critically examining black box systems and understanding their biases, we can strive for more equitable and inclusive technological futures.
Finding applications
To illustrate the practical applications of the sociodigital, my research group and I recently conducted a case study focused on interaction between humans and machines on digital platforms.
We analysed user interactions with a platform, allowing us to observe and document the user experience, paying close attention to the decision-making processes, interface design, and potential biases embedded within the system.
By combining qualitative analysis and sociodigital perspectives, we were able to uncover nuances that traditional evaluation methods might overlook. This approach allowed us to get deep into the complexities of human-machine interactions, highlighting the implications for individuals’ lives and social dynamics.
Our findings were presented at the IV International Conference Lab for Innovative Social Research (ILIS) in 2023 and our research continues to develop. We hope that this critical understanding will be decisive to shaping near-future policies, guidelines, and policy interventions to mitigate negative social impacts and promote fairer outcomes.
For more information on the work of the Centre for Sociodigital Futures, join our mailing list, follow us on X and LinkedIn or visit our webpage.
Francesco Amato is a PhD Student at the University of Naples Federico II in Social and Statistical Sciences and a recent visitor to the ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures.
His research explores methods of evaluating the social impact of automated decision-making systems and assessing the consequences of automated decision making systems on individuals and wider society.