[Themaintainers] Talk: Dmitry Muravav "Can Algorithmic Systems Break? Revisiting the Concept of Repair" (Maintenance and Philosophy Technology SIG Thursday 14th May 18-1915 UTC+1)

[mark young]

Dear all,

We’re pleased to announce the next session of the SPT Maintenance and
Philosophy of Technology SIG on Thursday 14th May. In this session, we’re
excited to welcome Dmitry Muravev who’ll be sharing his research with us
which explores the similarities and differences between conceptions of
algorithmic error and technological (mechanistic) breakdown in contemporary
philosophy of technology as an opportunity to rethink conceptions of
repair. If you'd like a Zoom link for this talk, send me a quick email at
mark at markthomasyoung.net

Best,
Mark

Mark Thomas Young
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Oslo
https://uio.academia.edu/MarkThomasYoung


*Can algorithmic systems break? Revisiting the concept of repair vis-á-vis
the concepts of mechanistic breakdown and algorithmic error*

Dmitry Muravev (TU Delft)

Thursday 14th May 2026 18-195 UTC+1

*Abstract:* In response to errors of algorithmic systems, scholars and
practitioners call for a variety of strategies that can be mapped alongside
the spectrum of repair and refusal. Simultaneously, in the philosophy of
technology, there is a tradition of thinking about technological breakdowns
as perceptible moments of rupture that allow one to reflect on the
non-instrumental meaning of technology. This understanding seems relevant
to these debates: if something breaks, it can be an occasion to consider
whether it is worth repairing or refusing. The question, however, is
whether the concept of algorithmic error and the philosophical conception
of technological breakdown operate according to the same principles. This
paper scrutinizes the applicability of the philosophical conceptualization
of breakdown to the case of algorithmic systems through a philosophical and
historical analysis. By relating the conceptual pair of breakdown and error
to two other concepts in the philosophy of technology—mechanism and
organism—and examining historical scholarship on the AI/ML research fields,
this paper proposes that the concepts of algorithmic error and mechanistic
breakdown are distinct. Contrary to the mechanistic breakdown, the
contingencies in algorithmic systems do not cause a rupture; rather, they
are internalized. This metaphysical shift challenges the idea of breakdown
as a moment for reflecting on the non-instrumental meanings of technology
and suggests that the concepts of refusal and repair can be rethought as
well.

(In order to avoid confusion regarding the timing of the talks - the
following table clarifies when the talks begin in different locations:

New York:         13:00
San Francisco: 10:00
London:            18:00
Amsterdam:      19:00
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