Politics of Algorithms:The Coupling Logic and Political Implications of Algorithmic Applications in State Governance
As we enter the era of artificial intelligence,the integration of algorithms into state governance has become a significant trend in governance reforms worldwide,and the study of algorithmic politics has emerged as a cutting-edge topic in academia in recent years.This paper examines and defines the concept of"algorithm,"elucidating the driving forces,mechanisms,and political implications of algorithmic interventions in state governance."Algorithm"is an ancient and multifaceted concept,with contemporary scholarship primarily interpreting it from technical and social perspectives.The emergence of algorithmic politics is closely linked to the widespread application of"intelligent algorithms"in the political sphere.The two fundamental research questions in algorithmic politics are"governance by algorithms"and"governance of algorithms."The former concerns how various political actors use algorithms,while the latter focuses on how diverse stakeholders understand and collectively address the risks associated with algorithmic applications.This paper primarily focuses on the state,the core political actor,and its use of algorithms—the most direct and typical form of algorithmic politics.The process of algorithmic interventions in state governance involves three elements:the driving forces for technology adoption,the embedding mechanisms,and the coupling modes,pertaining to the stages of the government's adoption,acquisition,and application of algorithmic technologies.Based on this,the paper proposes a"driving force-mechanism-mode"framework to analyze and understand the coupling process and embedding logic of algorithms and state governance.First,in terms of driving forces,the perspectives on factors propelling algorithmic interventions in state governance include functionalism,organizational fit,social engineering,and government-business relations.Second,in terms of mechanisms,algorithms are embedded in the governance process through three mechanisms:enablement,empowerment,and augmentation.Third,in terms of modes,government-business collaboration,government self-construction,and government-society co-construction are three common patterns of state-algorithm coupling.The political implications of algorithmic interventions in state governance can be understood through the classic perspective of state-society relations.Algorithms reshape the internal organizational structure,bureaucratic autonomy,and power relations of the state,thereby driving the algorithmization of state operations.At the same time,as algorithms become increasingly indispensable elements in social life and governance,they accelerate the algorithmization process of society.Through the mediating role of algorithms,state-society relations in the intelligent era are undergoing profound changes,primarily manifested in three dimensions:the power configuration between the state and society,society's constraints on the state,and the state's interventions in society.Future research on algorithmic politics should focus on opening the black box of algorithmic politics,examining the typology of algorithmic politics and its causes.Additionally,it is crucial to delve into the political effects of algorithmic politics at the micro,meso,and macro levels,as well as the increasingly prominent research topics concerning the governance of algorithms in intelligent societies.
万方数据
维普
