A foundational concept in computer science, algorithms – loosely defined as a set of rules to direct the behavior of machines or humans – have shaped infrastructures, practices, and daily lives around the world. The CSTMS research cluster on Algorithms in Culture explores the implications of their development and deployment in politics, media, science, organizations, culture, and the construction of the self.

As a follow-up to the Algorithms in Culture conference over a year ago, Algorithms in Culture articles have been published in the open-access journal Big Data & Society. This special theme, based on a December 2016 conference at University of California at Berkeley, considers algorithms as objects of cultural inquiry. It explores the implications of their development and deployment across many Big Data contexts, including politics, journalism, criminal justice, science, organizations, labor, culture, and the construction of the self. See more here.