The ASRG argues that this is a form of soft violence. The user is no longer a subject but an object to be sorted. The "black box" nature of these systems means that recourse is often impossible—one cannot appeal to a line of code. In this context, the ASRG identifies a vacuum of resistance. Where traditional activism might seek policy change, the scale and speed of algorithmic deployment often outpace legislation. The ASRG proposes a different approach: direct intervention at the code level.
The Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group stands at the intersection of art, activism, and computer science. They remind us that despite the aura of inevitability surrounding AI and big data, these systems are not infallible deities; they are brittle structures that rely on our compliance and our data to function. By embracing sabotage, the ASRG offers a roadmap for resistance in the 21st century. They invite us to become "glitches" in the system, to be unpredictable, and to recognize that in the face of an all-seeing eye, the most radical act may simply be to obscure the view. algorithmic sabotage research group asrg
Their manifesto was written collaboratively online, inviting anyone to contribute as a way to counter computational segregation. Workshops and Interventions: The ASRG argues that this is a form of soft violence