Sustainability & AI
Algorithmic decision-making
The use of algorithms to make or support decisions, with consequences for accountability in sustainability and social outcomes.
Definition
The use of algorithms to make, or materially shape, decisions about people, resources or systems — fully automated or as decision support.
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
The term spans simple rule-based scoring to machine-learning systems, in domains from credit and hiring to grid dispatch and inspection targeting. Public administration increasingly regulates it: Canada's Directive on Automated Decision-Making requires impact assessments for government systems.
How it is used
In sustainability contexts, algorithmic decisions allocate inspection resources, flag deforestation alerts, score suppliers, and optimise energy dispatch. Each embeds choices about what is measured and valued.
Why it matters
When a decision is made by a model, accountability, contestability and bias move from the individual decision-maker to the system's designers and deployers — which is why algorithmic decision-making is the legal anchor concept in instruments such as Canada's directive and the EU AI Act.
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