5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

In recent years, with the development of AI technologies, the phrase “algorithmic decision-making” has become a widespread topic of discussion. Algorithmic decision-making refers to attempts to rationalize and optimize human-related decision-making by using computational technologies such as machine learning to process big data on human behavior. It has been introduced in various fields such as loan screening by financial institutions, personnel recruitment, and student evaluation in educational settings, and so on.

However, the question this session seeks to ask is not “how algorithmic decision-making affects society”. What we are seeking is deeper sociological questions. For example, will the concept of decision-making and its associated concepts change or not? If so, how will they change? Particular attention should be paid to "who (or what) makes the decision". The question of ideas such as decision-making individual or decision-making subject, and the question of drawing the distinction between human and non-human will also come into view.

From a sociocybernetics perspective, we would like to focus on the conceptual changes (evolution of meaning) that underlie modernity as described above, but this session also welcomes broader sociological research on decision-making, both theoretical and empirical.