Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments
In recent years, technology assessments, evaluations, and audits have emerged as a key strategy for surfacing and managing technology systems’ societal effects. However, the evaluation of computational and algorithmic systems has largely been approached through a uni-modal and uni-disciplinary persp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Responsible Innovation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23299460.2025.2499302 |
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| author | Juana Catalina Becerra Sandoval Felicia Jing Adriana Alvarado Garcia Sara E. Berger Heloisa Candello Caitlin Lustig |
| author_facet | Juana Catalina Becerra Sandoval Felicia Jing Adriana Alvarado Garcia Sara E. Berger Heloisa Candello Caitlin Lustig |
| author_sort | Juana Catalina Becerra Sandoval |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, technology assessments, evaluations, and audits have emerged as a key strategy for surfacing and managing technology systems’ societal effects. However, the evaluation of computational and algorithmic systems has largely been approached through a uni-modal and uni-disciplinary perspective that heavily privileges computer science and engineering disciplines. Silos of discipline and modality, we argue, impose limitations on conceptions of what constitutes ‘technology’ – the object of the assessment – as well as how to evidence its risks and impacts. Reflecting on our experience conducting a multidisciplinary and multimodal assessment, we consider the opportunities afforded by evaluating from various lenses at once, and discuss the steep challenges of navigating tensions between different ways of knowing. Ultimately, we call on assessors to welcome unconventional methods and underrepresented disciplines into the assessment space, as a means to broaden our political visions of mitigation and ethics integration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-11bc366f8122489d81a93a30fb6e42f8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2329-9460 2329-9037 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Responsible Innovation |
| spelling | doaj-art-11bc366f8122489d81a93a30fb6e42f82025-08-20T04:00:45ZengTaylor & Francis GroupJournal of Responsible Innovation2329-94602329-90372025-12-0112110.1080/23299460.2025.2499302Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessmentsJuana Catalina Becerra Sandoval0Felicia Jing1Adriana Alvarado Garcia2Sara E. Berger3Heloisa Candello4Caitlin Lustig5IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, United StatesIBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, United StatesIBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, United StatesIBM Research, Yorktown Heights, NY, United StatesIBM Research, Sao Paulo, BrazilHuman Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesIn recent years, technology assessments, evaluations, and audits have emerged as a key strategy for surfacing and managing technology systems’ societal effects. However, the evaluation of computational and algorithmic systems has largely been approached through a uni-modal and uni-disciplinary perspective that heavily privileges computer science and engineering disciplines. Silos of discipline and modality, we argue, impose limitations on conceptions of what constitutes ‘technology’ – the object of the assessment – as well as how to evidence its risks and impacts. Reflecting on our experience conducting a multidisciplinary and multimodal assessment, we consider the opportunities afforded by evaluating from various lenses at once, and discuss the steep challenges of navigating tensions between different ways of knowing. Ultimately, we call on assessors to welcome unconventional methods and underrepresented disciplines into the assessment space, as a means to broaden our political visions of mitigation and ethics integration.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23299460.2025.2499302Assessmentsauditsevaluationmulti-disciplinaritysocietal impactsepistemology |
| spellingShingle | Juana Catalina Becerra Sandoval Felicia Jing Adriana Alvarado Garcia Sara E. Berger Heloisa Candello Caitlin Lustig Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments Journal of Responsible Innovation Assessments audits evaluation multi-disciplinarity societal impacts epistemology |
| title | Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments |
| title_full | Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments |
| title_fullStr | Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments |
| title_short | Opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments |
| title_sort | opportunities and challenges of multidisciplinary algorithmic impact assessments |
| topic | Assessments audits evaluation multi-disciplinarity societal impacts epistemology |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23299460.2025.2499302 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juanacatalinabecerrasandoval opportunitiesandchallengesofmultidisciplinaryalgorithmicimpactassessments AT feliciajing opportunitiesandchallengesofmultidisciplinaryalgorithmicimpactassessments AT adrianaalvaradogarcia opportunitiesandchallengesofmultidisciplinaryalgorithmicimpactassessments AT saraeberger opportunitiesandchallengesofmultidisciplinaryalgorithmicimpactassessments AT heloisacandello opportunitiesandchallengesofmultidisciplinaryalgorithmicimpactassessments AT caitlinlustig opportunitiesandchallengesofmultidisciplinaryalgorithmicimpactassessments |