Research

Background

The REAL card deck is an outcome of an examination of how public values intertwine with algorithmic systems and futures. Its development was inspired by our dissatisfaction with how societal aspects of algorithmic systems are currently handled. AI ethics discussions, for example, tend to focus on principles, such as transparency or fairness, that remain abstract and vague in the everyday and societal contexts. This means that these principles offer limited practical guidance on how to proceed when an algorithmic system is developed or deployed in context.


In addition, many concepts that are used to pin down consequences of algorithmic systems or values embedded in them tend to be narrowed down in such a way that they become almost synonymous with certain interpretations or modes of technological implementation. Privacy, for example, seems almost synonymous with clicking consent.

Why these concepts?

There is a dire need for finding alternative ways to discuss what algorithmic systems do in the everyday, and a vocabulary of new concepts can frame discussions in fruitful ways. Our project thus led to the exploration of key concepts that provided meaningful insights on how technology mediates values across studied cases.


Some of these concepts were particularly prone to raise not only thought-provoking but also practically significant questions. We wanted to make these concepts accessible to stakeholders and researchers, and they are now included as keywords in the REAL card deck.

Team and project

The REAL card deck was designed by Tuukka Lehtiniemi, Maiju Tanninen, David Moats, Elisa Elhadj, Maria Eidenskog, Veera Koskinen, Dorthe Brogård Kristensen, Perle Møhl, Ajda Pretnar Žagar, Minna Ruckenstein, and Julia Velkova.


The REAL card deck is an outcome of research conducted as a part of Reimagine ADM, a collaboration project between five European universities, with the support of CHANSE.

Reference

Lehtiniemi, T., Tanninen, M., Moats, D., Elhadj, E., Eidenskog, M., Koskinen, V., Kristensen, D.B., Møhl, P., Pretnar Žagar, A., Ruckenstein, M., & Velkova, J. (2025). REAL – Reimagining algorithmic futures: 63 cards for thinking differently about algorithmic systems. Figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.29222054.v1


General information on cards and their design can be found here. The readings below provide further details on the concepts included in the card deck:

Steering

Tanninen, M., Helén, I., & Ruckenstein, M. (2025). Epic disappointment: Physicians’ experiences of steerability in data-driven healthcare. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100667