Episode 1: Sputnik, revolutionaries, and algorithmic systems with Alexis Tsoukiás and Fred Roberts

The Algorithmic Futures Podcast

In this episode we chat to Fred Roberts, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University, and Alexis Tsoukiàs, a CNRS research director at LAMSADE, PSL University, Université Paris Dauphine, on how they came to be prominent researchers within their respective fields, complex real-world systems, and how the Social Responsibility of Algorithms workshop series (2022, 2019, 2017) came to be.

Fred S. Roberts is a Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University and Director of the Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis (CCICADA), a US Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence (COE). For 16 years he directed DIMACS, the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, which was founded as one of the original US National Science Foundation Science and Technology Centers. Roberts is author of four books, editor of 25 other books, and author of 200 scientific articles. His recent edited books include the first book on maritime cyber security in 2017, a 2019 book on “Mathematics of Planet Earth,” and a 2021 book on “Resilience in the Digital Age.” His research deals with such topics as meaningfulness in measurement, mathematical social sciences, applications of graph theory, and homeland security, and he has been a leader in the world-wide effort called Mathematics of Planet Earth. Among his awards are the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Centers Pioneer Award and the award of Docteur Honoris Causa by the University of Paris-Dauphine.

Alexis Tsoukiás is a research director at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in the Laboratorie d’Analyse et de Modélisation de Systèmes d’Aide á la Décision (LAMSADE), located at the Université Paris Dauphine. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and Systems Engineering from the Politecnico di Torino and is the author of two books, editor of several books and special issues, and has published more than 90 journal articles. He has a long-standing interest in algorithmic decision theory and was responsible for introducing the concept of policy analytics to the academic world. He has also actively involved in applying his research to real-world problems.

This episode was created in support of the Algorithmic Futures Policy Lab, a collaboration between the Australian National University (ANU) Centre for European Studies, ANU School of Cybernetics, ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, DIMACS at Rutgers University, and CNRS LAMSADE. The Algorithmic Futures Policy Lab is supported by an Erasmus+ Jean Monnet grant from the European Commission.

Episode transcript

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The European Commission support for the Algorithmic Futures Policy Lab does not constitute an endorsement of the contents of the podcast, which reflect the views only of the speakers or writers, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

All information we present in this podcast is purely for your education and enjoyment and should not be taken as advice specific to your situation.

Episode credits

Liz Williams – creator, co-host, producer

Zena Assaad – co-host, producer

Fred Roberts – guest

Alexis Tsoukiás – guest

Katherine Daniell – assistant producer

Flynn Shaw – background research

Music – Coma-Media from Pixabay

Sputnik news clip – Universal Studios

Sputnik beep – NASA