Algorithms as Social Power
Ebers and Cantero Gamito argue that algorithms are not merely technical tools but new social forces. They determine who gets a loan, who is hired, and who is flagged as “high risk” by financial or security systems. Beneath their cold, seemingly objective logic lie values, assumptions, and human biases. For example, an algorithm trained on historical data can easily replicate existing patterns of discrimination against minorities or women—not because it is “evil,” but because it learns from an already biased social reality.
The Democratic Challenge
This raises a fundamental question of legitimacy: how can we preserve accountability, transparency, and fairness in a world where decisions are made by computational “black boxes”? The book argues that democracy rests on the principle of public justification—the idea that every decision can be explained and contested. Yet when algorithms decide, the reasoning behind those decisions often becomes opaque. Hence, governance by algorithms demands governance of algorithms: a framework of oversight, regulation, and the development of principles such as algorithmic transparency, the right to explanation, and social sensitivity.
Between Efficiency and Justice
One of the book’s central tensions lies between technological efficiency and social justice. Algorithms promise speed and cost-effectiveness, but the price is often the loss of human discretion and empathy. The authors cite cases where algorithmic management improved efficiency in welfare or healthcare systems but undermined fairness or accuracy. The question, then, is not whether to use algorithms, but how—to what extent, under what boundaries, and with what ethical and legal safeguards.
Beyond the legal discussion, the book touches on deeper philosophical questions: what does governance mean in an era where decision-making power is increasingly automated? Can moral responsibility be assigned to algorithms? And are we still sovereign subjects when our public and private lives are governed by continuous computation of risk and optimization?
Algorithmic Governance and Governance of Algorithms is a key text for understanding an era in which the algorithm has become the silent legislator of our lives. The book is not anti-technology; rather, it calls for boundaries grounded in responsibility and humanity. It invites us to rethink the meaning of democracy in a world where power is measured not only by who makes the decisions—but by who programs them.
