Governance between ignorance and evidence: Technology assessment in the context of pandemic crisis management

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between knowledge and ignorance in the context of crises and corresponding technological solutions. It focuses on the case of pandemic simulation models as a specific form of dealing with uncertainty, which marks a transition from classical risk management to algorithmically organized anticipation practices. The thesis of the paper is that technology assessment is affected by this development when it comes to reflecting on the normative premises and social and political implications of digital crisis technologies. This refers in particular to what is considered crisis-relevant knowledge in the first place, according to what logics it circulates, and what attributions and effects can be observed with regard to digital crisis technologies. Against this background, the paper discusses the relevance of social science knowledge as well as the role of deliberative practices in times of crisis.