Providing a definition of Algorithmic Literacy that leverage mechanology and retro-engineering perspectives Enjeux définitionnels et scientifiques de la littératie algorithmique : entre mécanologie et rétro-ingénierie documentaire En Fr

Résumé En

The article aims to pave the way for a new form of literacy called algorithmic literacy, that will enable users to identify and understand how algorithms work and impact their daily lives. The goal of algorithmic literacy is to help users acquire new skills to counter the recurrent problem of opacity and biases in algorithmic processing of data and information. We examine first the context and origins of this literacy and its proximity to other literacies. We then analyze the possible bridges that can be built towards the many fields of social sciences that study algorithms and their effects. We demonstrate the importance of associating this literacy with the mechanological angle developed by Gilbert Simondon and, more recently, Bernhard Rieder. We then look at possible correlations that this literacy could establish with retro-engineering efforts to help understand the algorithmic processes at play.