Mitigating algorithmic harms: can professionalisation of software engineering and administration help?

A growing body of empirical research and investigative journalism has identified serious harms occasioned by partially- and fully-automated (i.e., algorithmic) decision-making systems, especially in work environments and government decision-making. A wide range of proposals have been advanced to mitigate these harms, including better enforcement of existing laws, new laws, new technical standards, and supranational governance regimes. This talk will briefly review existing governance frameworks around the manufacture and operation of other technologies and engineering fields that might offer lessons for the policy task of governing the development and operation of algorithmic decision-making systems. It will also present some possible strategies through which increased professionalisation of software engineering and administration could contribute to this task. The talk will present very preliminary research and ample time will be reserved for discussion. The insights and suggestions of seminar participants will be greatly welcomed.