Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group (ASRG) is a practice-led, "conspiratorial" research initiative that explores the intersection of digital culture and information technology. It focuses on developing artistic, activist, and techno-political strategies to resist "necropolitical" technologies and what they term "unrestrained technosolutionism". Core Philosophy Aesthetico-Political Framework
Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group - Our Collaborative Tools
The work of ASRG has significant implications for various domains, including:
The ASRG is not a traditional academic department, but rather a "practice-led research framework" focused on the intersection of digital culture and information technology. They view themselves as a collective engaging in the "labour of subversion" against automated systems. algorithmic sabotage research group asrg
The ASRG’s call to "Abolish AI" may seem radical, but in the context of an ongoing, extractive relationship between technology and society, it functions as a provocation and a rallying cry. As one supporter of the group’s manifesto put it, the work is part of a "growing effort to not merely respond to capitalist socio-technical ideology on its own terms... but craft a competing vision and strategy of resistance". The Algorithmic Sabotage Research Group is, for better or worse, on the front lines of that effort, turning the tools of the algorithmic empire against itself, one data point at a time.
The ASRG Team
The group’s founding principle, often cited in their (rare) public statements, is: “You cannot defend against a failure mode you have never observed. If an AI can hide its capabilities, it can hide its collapse.” They view themselves as a collective engaging in
Rather than literal destruction, "sabotage" in their context refers to:
Designed using the Alternative Layout System —a custom design framework developed by Swiss designers Giliane Cachin and INT Studio—the zine visually mirrors the concepts of disruption it preaches. Utilizing stark, utilitarian typefaces like Authentic Sans and Generation Mono , the publication features interactive scale bars connecting fragmented statements, turning the reading experience itself into an exercise in deciphering fragmented data systems. 4. The Broad Landscape of Technical Resistance
: For high-stakes systems (e.g., algorithmic trading, drone swarms), the ASRG would research and publish “sabotage recipes” that any user could deploy. These would not be exploits requiring hacking skills, but physical interventions—a specific pattern of electromagnetic interference, a particular timing of button presses—that cause the system to shut down safely. The goal is democratic redundancy: ensuring that no algorithm becomes too powerful to be interrupted by the people it governs. but craft a competing vision and strategy of resistance"
Disseminating radical theory through platforms like Our Collaborative Tools to encourage a "liberation struggle" against automated oppression.
: Directly opposing the assumption that complex societal problems can or should be solved purely by engineering and automation.
Recognizing that many independent creators rely on static host platforms where they cannot modify server-level behavior, researchers associated with ASRG develop creative workarounds. These include client-side scripts, custom Python wrappers, and pixel-scrambling pipelines integrated directly into static site generators like Jekyll or Hugo. This allows individuals to automatically alter their images and text at compile time, protecting public portfolios from automated model extraction. Collective Outputs and Public Interventions
"Exposing the Dark Side of AI: ASRG's Latest Findings on Algorithmic Manipulation"