Today’s Objective

Week 3 introduces students to the performative aspects of AI, emphasizing how human and non-human agents interact in scientific practices. Drawing from Andrew Pickering's work, the class will explore the dynamic interplay between human intentionality and machine behavior, emphasizing the emergent nature of AI practices. By unpacking the 'mangle of practice,' students will gain a nuanced understanding of how science, agency, and time coalesce in AI.

Lecture Notes

Key Concepts

• Actor-Network Theory: A theoretical approach to understanding the relationship between human and non-human actors in a network (from Pickering's "The Mangle of Practice").
• Agency: The capacity of actors (human or non-human) to act in the world.
• Emergence: The process of complex patterns arising out of simple interactions.

To Read (Before Class)

Primary

• Andrew Pickering's "The Mangle of Practice: Time, Agency, and Science" (Preface & Chapter 1) 📕The Mangle of Practice

Supplementary

• Bruno Latour's "Reassembling the Social" (Chapter 2) 📕Reassembling the Social

Student Facilitation Reading

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ErgXe8WM8zwpibYuQq25ENvngwQAEGOjI3omkaRs8bA/edit#gid=527859080

"Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences" by Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star 📕Sorting Things Out (Read & Present on Introduction and Chapter 1)

Summary: This reading explores the role of classification systems in shaping human and technological interaction. It offers insights into how categorization influences AI practices and connects with the theme of AI's performativity.

Critical Questions:

1. How do classification systems impact the development and functioning of AI systems?
2. What ethical or social issues may arise from AI classification practices?
3. How does this reading relate to the concept of "mangle of practice" in AI?
4. How do classification systems embody cultural or societal values?
5. Can classification in AI be truly objective, or is it inherently biased?

To Watch

I’m not sure if this actually helps explain Actor Network Theory, but it was too odd not to share.

In Class Assignment

Actor-Network Mapping Exercise

• Objective: To understand the concept of Actor-Network Theory and The Mangle of Practice through hands-on experience.
• Method: Students will form small groups and select a current AI technology (e.g., a recommendation engine, self-driving cars, etc.). Using large sheets of paper and colored markers, each group will draw out the network or mangle associated with their chosen technology.
• Activity Details:
1. Step 1: Identify all the actors (both human and non-human).
2. Step 2: Draw lines to indicate the relationships or interactions between these actors.
3. Step 3: Add notes to describe the nature of each relationship (e.g., influences, governs, disrupts).
• Wrap-up: Each group presents their actor-network map and discusses the emergent properties of their chosen system, referring to Latour's and Pickering's theories. You will answer one of the following questions:

Examples for the Mapping Exercise

To Do