Rendered inoperable : Uber and the collapse of algorithmic power

Luke Munn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Today the algorithmic moves off the whiteboard and into the world, producing subjectivities, articulating relationships, and shaping behaviours. Yet to obtain its objectives, the algorithmic must draw upon bodies, flows, and materials — matter which is contentious and agents which have their own intentionalities. Efficacy cannot simply be assumed, but must be incessantly negotiated via a set of procedures. What are the operations needed to incorporate subjects and spaces into regimes of algorithmic coordination? By examining the ride-sharing platform Uber as a case-study, three operations are identified as critical: encapsulation, enlistment and enchantment. When these operations are incomplete, algorithmic traction on a subject slips away, producing an array of undesired and unanticipated effects.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages15
JournalA Peer-Reviewed Journal About
Volume7
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Open Access - Access Right Statement

Released under the CC license: ‘Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike’.

Keywords

  • Uber (firm)
  • human behavior
  • algorithms

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