Research and Destroy: Algorithmic Power

29.5 x 21.1 x 0.2 cm

Publication, 32 pages

Digital print on glossy coated paper (100gsm); hand-bound with pamphlet stitch

This publication centres around Flugschrift 1: Research and Destroy, a piece of grey literature produced by SDS Erlangen Basisgruppe Mathematik-Physik in 1969. The booklet juxtaposes reproduced pages from the 1968 US article Lanchester Models of Guerrilla Engagements with a political critique by the SDS group. This juxtaposition – between objective scientific research into mathematical algorithms and politically engaged commentary – creates the central tension in this publication. Research and Destroy: Algorithmic Power re-contextualises these debates into a modern lens, offering a commentary on issues central to closed-loop AI systems and the potential dangers of entrusting life-changing decisions to algorithms, while emphasising the importance of human sensibilities in these processes.