The OASI Register

The speed with which algorithms are being developed and implemented in all kinds of fields by public entities and private organisations, the lack of public awareness about such technologies and often also the lack of adequate regulation, make it hard for a properly informed public debate about the use of algorithmic systems in our societies. That is especially worrying as many algorithms are opaque and unaccountable and have proved to be systematic biased against women and minority groups, and also because often algorithmic systems fail to deliver the expected or promised results.

The OASI Register compiles information about algorithms with the aim of increasing public awareness and providing the necessary knowledge for an informed public conversation, and of making possible for experts and the public to search and analyse the use and social impact of algorithmic systems across the world.

Browsing the OASI Register

-You can browse the OASI Register or search its content by clicking the magnifying glass icon on the top right corner of the table and typing any words into the search field.

-You can also select which Register categories to show and to hide by clicking on “Hide fields” on the top left corner of the table, and you can use the “Filter”, “Group” and “Sort” options to cross-reference values from the different categories in the OASI Register. For example, you could make the Register show you all the entries that have “Germany” or “France” in “Location” and “social services” in “Domain”, but not “Threat to privacy” in “Social impact”.

-If you refresh the webpage, all the filters and options get reset and the default view gets restored. There are many possibilities to explore the OASI Register, and we invite you to try different options.

Disclaimer: Because the field of algorithmic systems is constantly and quickly developing, the OASI Register is necessarily a work in progress that will be regularly updated. By using a particular set of categories to catalogue algorithms, we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible while still keeping the OASI Register manageable, but we cannot claim to have included every little bit of relevant information about a particular algorithm.

As the field of algorithms develops and as we gather more information, we may modify the OASI Register categories or add new ones. While all possible effort has been made to verify all the information at the time that each was entry was last updated, we cannot claim 100% accuracy.

The OASI Register is a collaborative effort: if you see any mistakes or think there are some data missing, or if you would like to contribute content or to know more about OASI, please get in touch with us. You can read more about our methodology here.

 
 

Interested in our work?

You can collaborate with the project by sharing with us algorithms that are being implemented around you or by using the information in this directory to foster changes in your community.