Sustainability & AI
Algorithm
A defined set of rules or steps a computer follows to solve a problem; the building block underlying every AI system.
Definition
A finite, well-defined sequence of instructions a computer follows to solve a problem or transform data into an answer.
Quick reference
At a glance
- Subject
- Sustainability & AI
- Editorial status
- Editorial draft
- Definition status
- Established
- Last updated
- 21 August 2026
References
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Overview
What it means
Algorithms are the building blocks of all software, formalised in computer science long before modern AI — Cormen et al.' s Introduction to Algorithms is the canonical reference. Contemporary machine learning differs in that the algorithm learns rules from data rather than encoding them directly.
How it is used
The term appears constantly in sustainability discourse — 'the algorithm' behind a rating, a feed, a detection system — often loosely meaning an entire AI system. Precision matters: an algorithm is the procedure; the model, data and deployment context are separate components.
Why it matters
Policy instruments regulate 'algorithms' and 'automated decision systems', while technical audits examine models and data. Keeping the layers distinct helps practitioners ask the right accountability questions about each.
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