May 2025 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

WEBCAST MAY 22 – IGF Dynamic Coalitions (DC) Webinar – Capacity Building for the Digital Age
by Joly MacFie 22 May '25

22 May '25

*[Coming up shortly - human captions on Zoom and the real time text link]* [image: ISOC LIVE] <https://isoc.live/19353>*LIVESTREAM <https://youtu.be/pxVen9octfE> | **PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM <https://intgovforum.zoom.us/meeting/register/epZHGZF6RPach_vaiHiehg> | REAL TIME TEXT <https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=CaptionFirst-IGF> | PERMALINK <https://isoc.live/19353>* On *Thursday May 22, 2025*, at *13:00-14:30 UTC*, the *Internet Governance Forum <https://www.intgovforum.org/>* (IGF) *Dynamic Coalitions <https://www.intgovforum.org/en/content/dynamic-coalitions>* (DCs) will hold their third Global Webinar with the theme ‘*Capacity Building for the Digital Age <https://intgovforum.zoom.us/meeting/register/epZHGZF6RPach_vaiHiehg>* ‘. In an increasingly interconnected world, digital technologies are transforming how economies function, how societies interact, and how individuals live and work. As the digital landscape evolves rapidly—shaped by innovations in artificial intelligence, data-driven platforms, and cloud infrastructure—there is a growing need to equip individuals, institutions, and governments with the capacity to engage meaningfully and effectively in this new paradigm. However, this digital acceleration has also exposed and, in some cases, deepened existing inequalities. The divide between the digitally connected and the digitally underserved—whether across geographies, socio-economic strata, or communities—risks marginalizing large populations from the benefits of digital progress. Addressing this gap requires more than just access to technology; it demands a structured and sustained approach to capacity building—encompassing digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness, infrastructure development, inclusive governance, and agile policy-making. This webinar seeks to explore effective strategies, innovative frameworks, and collaborative models for capacity building in the digital age. By convening global thought leaders, practitioners, and policy influencers, the session will foster dialogue on how diverse stakeholders can co-create resilient, inclusive, and future-ready digital ecosystems that uphold the principles of equity, security, and empowerment. *SPEAKERS* *Avri Doria* – SIG Faculty, Technicalities, DC on Schools of Internet Governance *Wout de Natris* – Co-ordinator, Internet Standards, Security and Safety Coalition *Judith Hellerstein* – Co-ordinator, DC on Accessibility and Disability *Muhammad Shabbir* – Co-ordinator, DC on Accessibility and Disability *Maarten Botterman* – Chairman, IGF DC-IoT / Director, GNKS Consult *Stephanie Perrin* – President, Digital Discretion, Inc / DC on Digital Financial Inclusion *Markus Kummer* – Chairman Emeritus, Internet Governance Forum Support Association (IGFSA) *Roman Chukov* – Programme Management Officer, DC Focal Point, IGF Secretariat *HOST / MODERATOR* *Rajendra Pratap Gupta* – Chairman, DC on Digital Economy *SIMULCASTS X Live <https://x.com/ISOC_Live> | Twitch <https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/InternetSociety/live>* *** ISOC.LIVE is a free webcasting support service for the Internet Society Community - if you would like to become a monthly sponsor, or need support - contact support(a)isoc.live *** - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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New open access book - Governing the Digital Society: Platforms, Artificial Intelligence, and Public Values
by Helmond, A. (Anne) 22 May '25

22 May '25

New open access book - Governing the Digital Society: Platforms, Artificial Intelligence, and Public Values Editors: José van Dijck, Karin van Es, Anne Helmond, Fernando van der Vlist Publisher: Amsterdam University Press Link: https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789048571406/governing-the-digital-society Available Open Access: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/101572 ## Contents Digital technologies have rapidly become integral to communities and societies, bringing both significant benefits and serious concerns. Issues such as misinformation, disinformation, online polarization, discrimination, and widening inequalities have prompted a critical and urgent debate: Can digital societies still be effectively governed? This book brings together insights from various disciplines to address the pressing question: “How can we develop and apply principles of (good) governance in digital societies that are organized democracies?” Governing the Digital Society presents a range of governance approaches, focusing on online platforms, artificial intelligence, and the public values that underpin these technologies. The authors position themselves at the forefront of their disciplines, offering perspectives from law, critical data studies, urban studies, science and technology studies, computational linguistics, and the political economy of media. Expert interviews provide additional insights into ongoing efforts to tackle the challenges of governing digital societies. The book demonstrates that governance is not just a technical or legal process but a complex societal one, embedding norms, values, and morality into our institutions and daily lives. ## Table of Contents Section 1: Governing Platforms Decentralized Online Social Networks: Technological and Organizational Choices and Their Public Value Trade-offs, Mathilde Sanders and José van Dijck Platform cooperatives as an additional strategy for empowering platform workers, Gabriël van Rosmalen Governing the ‘Third Half of the Internet’: The Dynamics of Human and AI-assisted Content Moderation, Cedric Waterschoot Constitutional Aspects of Trusted Flaggers in The Netherlands, Jacob van de Kerkhof Interview with Catalina Goanta, by Taylor Annabell Section 2: Governing Artificial Intelligence Governing the Global Proliferation of Digital Surveillance Technologies: Lessons from the EU, Machiko Kanetake The Governance of Generative AI: Three Conditions for Research and Policy, Fabian Ferrari The Long-term Usefulness of Regulating AI in the EU, Lisanne Hummel Interview with Natali Helberger, by Fabian Ferrari Section 3: Governing Public Values The Techno-Politics of Conversational AI’s Moral Agency: Examining ChatGPT and ErnieBot as Examples, Jing Zeng and Karin van Es Doing Inclusion: Negotiation and Co-creation for People-centric Smart Cities, Michiel de Lange, Erna Ruijer and Krisztina Varró Motherhood in the Datafied Welfare State: Investigating the Gendered and Racialized Enactment of Citizenship in Dutch Algorithmic Governance, Gerwin van Schie, Laura Candidatu and Diletta Huyskes Fostering Autonomy in the Digital Classroom: Strengthening Schools’ Control over Data and Pedagogy through Collective Action, Niels Kerssens and Karin van Es Interview with Janneke Gerards, by Viktorija Morozovaite Concluding comments: An assessment of governing the digital society, Albert Meijer ##Endorsements "In an age where platforms and AI are compromising the missions of our public sectors, the influence of tech tycoons has pervaded the political sphere and the world is aflood with digitally generated and sustained misinformation, how can – and should – digital societies be governed? This is the question this accessible, multi-disciplinary and comprehensive volume seeks to answer. It will be valuable to anyone, in academia and beyond, concerned with safeguarding our public values in the current tide of digitalization as a non-democratic and profit-seeking force." -- Tamar Sharon, Professor of Philosophy, Digitalization & Society, Radboud University Nijmegen "This timely edited volume poses the urgent question of how digital societies can be effectively governed in an era where digital platforms and AI systems have become core socio-technical infrastructures. Grounded in robust theoretical frameworks, this book delivers rigorous, interdisciplinary research substantiated by empirical studies." -- Jo Pierson, Professor of Responsible Digitalisation & Head of School of Social Sciences, University Hasselt "What is the meaning of “good governance” in democratic digital societies? How can these spheres foster safety, inclusion, and transparency? Drawing on diverse case studies, this excellent volume demonstrates that there are no simple answers; advancing one value often compromises another. Offering a rich account of the intersections between stakeholders and the technologies they build, manage, and consume, Governing the Digital Society is an essential resource for scholars and practitioners working to shape better digital futures." -- Limor Shifman, Professor at the Department of Communication and Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel & the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences "Governing the Digital Society examines whether digital societies can still be effectively governed. This volume brings together scholars exploring emerging issues—such as decentralized platforms and AI regulation – with those offering new analytical perspectives on existing debates, including content moderation and spyware. Through research and expert interviews, it offers critical insights into the future of digital governance. -- Robyn Caplan, Assistant Professor of Technology Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University

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RECORDING – Internet Masr – The Planet Paradox: Digital Infrastructure & Environmental Responsibility
by Joly MacFie 22 May '25

22 May '25

[*4/5 in this infrastructure webinar series covers the environmental aspects*] [image: isoc live] <https://isoc.live/19341>*YOUTUBE <https://youtu.be/2T3XqcWjrHo> | AUDIO <https://archive.org/download/isoc-egypt-digital-infrastructure4/isoc-egypt-…> | TRANSCRIPT <https://archive.org/download/isoc-egypt-digital-infrastructure4/isoc-egypt-…> | SUMMARY <https://archive.org/download/isoc-egypt-digital-infrastructure4/isoc-egypt-…> | SLIDES <https://archive.org/download/isoc-egypt-digital-infrastructure4/isoc-egypt-…> |* *ARCHIVE <https://archive.org/details/isoc-egypt-digital-infrastructure4> | PERMALINK <https://isoc.live/193418>* On * 8 May 2025* the *Internet Society Egypt Chapter <https://internetmasr.org/>* (Internet Masr ) presented the fourth in its infrastructure webinar series with a briefing session ‘*The Planet Paradox: Digital Infrastructure & Environmental Responsibility*‘. * Ahmed Abdel-Latif <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedabdellatif>* explored the real-world impact of digital infrastructure on the planet we live on. As the digital economy continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, the demand for the infrastructure that powers it accelerates. While they are essential to enabling innovation, AI, cloud computing, and global industry reinvention, data centers also raise urgent questions about energy consumption, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. *SPEAKER* *Ahmed Abdel-Latif*, MEA Digital Infrastructure Expert *HOST* *Mariam Fayez*, Internet Masr *** ISOC.LIVE is a free webcasting support service for the Internet Society Community - if you would like to become a monthly sponsor, or need support - contact support(a)isoc.live *** - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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VOX-Pol's REASSURE Project: Invitation to Contribute
by Maura Conway 21 May '25

21 May '25

Dear AoIRers, Congrats to Alice and all those involved in the development of the AoIR Risky Research Guide <https://tiara.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AOIR-Risky-Research-Guide_2025…> . On a similar theme: VOX-Pol’s REASSURE Project <https://voxpol.eu/introducing-the-reassure-project/?_gl=1*15ye0w9*_ga*MzIwN…> is dedicated to understanding and improving the security, safety, and resiliency of online extremism and terrorism researchers (and allied professionals). Following our 2023 report <https://voxpol.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Online-Extremism-and-Terrorism…>, cited in the AoIR Guide, we are now conducting a quantitative survey to gather broader insights from *researchers working on online extremism and terrorism or who, through their work (on e.g. disinfo, conspiracies, misogyny, etc.) routinely encounter such content.* Your anonymous and confidential responses will help us think through best practices and enhance protections for those researching and analysing online extremism and terrorism content. We have ethics approval for the project from Swansea University. If you're not in this space, it would be appreciated if you have colleagues, friends, family, etc. who are professionally tasked in regard to online extremism and terrorism (e.g., technology companies, think tanks, etc.) if you could share this email with them. There is a small payment (£15/€15/$15) attached to completed surveys to show our appreciation for you taking the time to do so. *Take the survey HERE <https://swanseasom.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3TLn6qwoKJ2nVOu>* (*Please do not share this link on social media*). Lastly, if anything above is unclear or if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line. Best, Maura *Prof. Maura Conway* *Paddy Moriarty Professor of Government **and International Studies* School of Law and Government Dublin City University Glasnevin Dublin 9 Ireland Tel. +353 1 700 6472 E-Mail. maura.conway(a)dcu.ie Skype. galwaygrrl Twitter: @galwaygrrl Website: http://doras.dcu.ie/view/people/Conway=3AMaura=3A=3A.html ********** *Professor of Cyber Threats | *CYTREC | Swansea University, UK ********** VOX-Pol | http://www.voxpol.eu | Twitter: @VOX_Pol -- * *Séanadh Ríomhphoist/Email Disclaimer* *Tá an ríomhphost seo agus aon chomhad a sheoltar leis faoi rún agus is lena úsáid ag an seolaí agus sin amháin é. Is féidir tuilleadh a léamh anseo. * *This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and are intended solely for use by the addressee. Read more here.* * -- <https://www.facebook.com/DCU/> <https://twitter.com/DCU> <https://www.linkedin.com/company/dublin-city-university> <https://www.instagram.com/dublincityuniversity/?hl=en> <https://www.youtube.com/user/DublinCityUniversity>

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[Flashlab Seminar] Dieuwertje Luitse (UvA) - June 2, 2025 (4-5:30pm CET) - "Rethinking Data Bodies: On the Technopolitical Production of ‘Otherness’ through ML Modelling and Evaluation in Medicine"
by Assia WIRTH 21 May '25

21 May '25

Dear colleagues, The Flashlab seminar’s quarterly cycle "Contemporary Challenges of Artificial Intelligence" third and final session will take place on* Monday, June 2 (4pm-5:30pm CET),* online and at Sciences Po Paris (1 place St-Thomas d'Aquin, Paris). We are pleased to welcome *Dieuwertje Luitse*, PhD student at the University of Amsterdam and co-organizer of the "*Critical AI Seminar* <https://www.create.humanities.uva.nl/seminar-series/the-critical-ai-seminar…>", for a presentation entitled: *Rethinking Data Bodies: On the Technopolitical Production of ‘Otherness’ through ML Modelling and Evaluation in Medicine * *Abstract: *Following the rapid development of AI technologies in the medical domain, the amplification of bias and the potential reproduction of existing social or health inequities have become a central object of concern in the field (Seyyed-Kalantari et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2023). To mitigate these issues, critical work on the ethics and politics of medical AI has primarily focused on scrutinising the construction of (very) large datasets used to train and evaluate machine-learning systems for medical AI research and development or clinical deployment. Even though this type of critical work in AI ethics is vital, I stress that this particular focus on data and data practices risks obscuring the many additional factors at play here. Instead, AI-inscribed bias and health inequalities may emerge through ‘small differences’ in a series of entangled processes that underpin medical AI decision-making: machine-learning modelling and specific modes of evaluation. It is critical to further investigate these processes, and the underlying practices that feed into them, as they allow to better understand and deepen the ethico-political scrutiny of technical operations by machine-learning systems beyond just data production. Following these observations, this talk takes a combined Critical AI and STS research approach to demonstrate how data, machine-learning modelling and evaluation processes are continuously composing and recomposing categories of ‘others’ on which AI-based medical decisions can be made—including those that may lead to the (re)productions of social biases and health inequities. To do so, I propose to conceptually rethink the construction of ‘data bodies’ as technopolitical enactments of constituted medical datasets, machine-learning models and their underlying infrastructures for AI-based medical decision-making. Drawing on the notion of the ‘body multiple’ (Mol, 2002) data bodies are constituted and always ‘oscillate between multiplicity and singularity’ (Bucher, 2018). Exploring their enactment, I address the configurations of the lines between self and various others from within the entangled technical arrangements and sociotechnical practices underlying machine-learning operations in the medical realm and consider their implications for decision-making in practice. *Bio: **Dieuwertje Luitse is PhD Candidate in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Her research explores the ethics, politics and power of data, artificial intelligence (AI) system and application development in healthcare. This project is part of the UvA’s interdisciplinary research priority area on AI for Health decision-making <https://www.uva.nl/en/shared-content/zwaartepunten/en/artificial-intelligen…> that brings together researchers from Computer Science, Medicine, Law and the Humanities. In addition, her research interest focuses on the study of computational infrastructures and the (historical) development of AI systems in relation to their socio-economic and political implications.In line with her research activities, Dieuwertje is the co-organiser of the Critical AI Seminar Series <https://www.create.humanities.uva.nl/seminar-series/the-critical-ai-seminar…> hosted by the Critical Data and AI research group at UvA’s Faculty of Humanities and one of the co-editors of the topical collection on the Politics of Machine Learning Evaluation <https://link.springer.com/collections/bbbehaibcj> in *Digital Society. --- To get this session’s link, please sign up at this link <https://framalistes.org/sympa/subscribe/flashlab> or get in touch via email. The full program is available on the seminar’s *site* <https://flashlabinfo.wordpress.com/>. --- For those interested, a session of the medialab seminar will also be held on the following day, *Tuesday 3 June* *(2-4pm)* – during which* Dieuwertje Luitse *et *Anna Schjøtt Hansen *will introduce a special issue they co-edited for *Digital Society* on the *"Politics of Machine Learning Evaluation"*, with a collective discussion with some of the contributors. All information is available on the* medialab * <https://medialab.sciencespo.fr/en/news/the-politics-of-machine-learning-eva…> website. Kind wishes, Valentin Goujon & Assia Wirth ----------- *Assia Wirth* PhD candidate - ENS Paris Saclay (IDHES)

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UCL Information Studies Book Forum - 5th June
by Vrikki, Photini 21 May '25

21 May '25

Dear all, We’re pleased to invite you to the upcoming Information Studies Book Forum, organised by the Department of Information Studies at UCL. Please find details and the Eventbrite registration link below. All the best, Photini Information Studies Book Forum Please Register through Eventbrite<https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/information-studies-book-forum-tickets-13633…> to attend The UCL Department of Information Studies (DIS) is a leader in interdisciplinary and innovative research across Library, Archives and Record Management, Publishing, Information Science, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Humanities. Join this event to discuss with our unique coalition of scholars their recent achievements and book projects, and potential collaborations in common areas of interest. The event will begin with a keynote from Professor Angus Philipps. It will include panel discussions, Q&As, talks and presentations by DIS scholars, publishers, research students, and a networking session. The talks are organised in four themes: · Communicating Information Studies through Books · Pioneering Women in the information Professions · Publishing Popular Books in Digital Humanities Event Details: 🗓 Date: 5th June 2025 🕙 Time: 09:30 - 16:00 📍 Location: UCL IOE, Bedford Way (20), 103 - Jeffery Hall Registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/information-studies-book-forum-tickets-13633… Please arrive from 9.30am for registration. Tea, coffee, pastries and lunch will be available in the Jeffery Hall foyer. Take this opportunity to connect, discuss, and share ideas with fellow researchers, publishers, and academics. Whether you're a student, professional, or simply passionate about the world of information studies, this forum offers valuable insights and networking opportunities. Dr Photini Vrikki (she/her) Lecturer in Digital Methods in the Humanities Department of Information Studies | Foster Court University College London | Gower Street | WC1E 6BT

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Five days Before the Deadline: Call for Book Chapters on Alt-Tech and Social Media
by Kat Fuller 20 May '25

20 May '25

Greetings, This is a final reminder that this Sunday, *May 25th*, is the deadline for submitting a book chapter proposal for the edited volume "Alternative Truths: The Power of Social Media and Disinformation in Far-Right Fascism." You can find more information at the following link: https://www.sssp1.org/file/Announcements/CallForPapers-OtherOrganizations/C… Best, Kat Fuller

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Reminder: GenAI & Creative Practices Conference (Dec 17-18, Amsterdam)
by Tom Divon 20 May '25

20 May '25

Dear community, We now have recruited exciting keynote speakers for our international conference on GenAI & Creative Practices, which will take place on December 17-18, 2025, at the University of Amsterdam. We warmly invite proposals for papers, panels, roundtables, and fishbowls. You can find the full Call for Papers, along with our list of plenary speakers, here: https://rdt.uva.nl/genai--creative-practices/genai--creative-practices.html In light of the rapid development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), this conference brings together scholars, researchers, and practitioners to explore and rethink: - Creative Practices - Values and Creative Work - Scalable Responsible GenAI - The Future of Creative Work - The Political Economy of GenAI and Transformation of the Cultural Sector - Governance and Regulation of GenAI *Submission deadline: 05 June 2025* We’re very much looking forward to receiving your proposals! Best wishes, Thomas Poell, Tobias Blanke, Monika Kackovic, Somendra Narayan, Nanne van Noord, Eftychia Stamkou, Dimitrios Tzionas, Sabine Niederer, Natali Helberger, Hannes Cools & Erik Bekkers -- *Tom Divon* Creators & Platforms R*esearcher* Dept. of Communication & Journalism, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Sammy Ofer School of Communications, IDC, Herzliya Tel: +972-547-532681 [image: Twitter] <https://twitter.com/TomDivon>[image: Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/divon.tom/>[image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/tom.divon> Website: https://tomdivon.com/ Co-Founder: The Content Creator Scholars Network <https://www.ccsn.site/> *Publications*: >> Playful Activism: Memetic Performances of Palestinian Resistance in TikTok #Challenges <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231157607> >> #JewishTikTok: The JewToks' Fight against Antisemitism <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359548581_JewishTikTok> >> Serious TikTok: Can You Learn About the Holocaust in 60 Seconds? <https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/digitalholocaustmemory/2022/03/24/can-you-lear…> >> Playful Trauma: TikTok Creators and the Use of the Platformed Body in Times of War <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241269281> >> Platform gaslighting: A user-centric insight into social media corporate communications of content moderation <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/29768624241303109> >> The unsolicited algorithm: unveiling gendered harms and (non)consent in apple iOS features <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09589236.2024.2433683?src=> >> The sound of disinformation: TikTok, computational propaganda, and the invasion of Ukraine <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448241251804?icid=int.sj-full…> >> Youthful Platform Commemoration: TikTok as a Frontier for Holocaust Education and Memory <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383957738_Youthful_Platform_Commem…>

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Call for Abstracts Digital Methods in Latin America – Tapuya Journal (Q1)
by Oscar Daniel Moreno Martinez 20 May '25

20 May '25

We are pleased to share this call for abstracts in case it is of interest. We believe your contribution would be highly valuable. For more information please visit: Call for Abstracts: Thematic Cluster – Tracing the Past, Mapping the Present: Digital Methods in Latin American Cultures – Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society<https://tapuya.org/2025/03/14/call-for-articles/> This thematic cluster invites critical reflections on the theory and practice of digital methods in Latin American contexts. Rooted in social sciences and humanities, digital methods leverage natively digital tools and data to analyze phenomena—from social movements to cultural narratives. We seek contributions that contextualize these methods within the region’s unique socio-material realities, addressing gaps in Anglo-centric scholarship and advancing decolonial, Southern perspectives. Submit by June 1, 2025: 300-word abstracts to jaimecuellar(a)javeriana.edu.co Acceptance notice: June 30, 2025 Full papers sumbition: (7,000 words) due November 15, 2025 Themes Include: Digital archives (Wayback Machine, YouTube) and Latin American memory AI, datafication, and inequalities in tech access Misinformation, environmental activism, and digital vernaculars (e.g., memes) Reflexive approaches to teaching/researching digital methods in the Global South AVISO LEGAL: El presente correo electronico no representa la opinion o el consentimiento oficial de la PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA. Este mensaje es confidencial y puede contener informacion privilegiada la cual no puede ser usada ni divulgada a personas distintas de su destinatario. Esta prohibida la retencion, grabacion, utilizacion, aprovechamiento o divulgacion con cualquier proposito. Si por error recibe este mensaje, por favor destruya su contenido y avise a su remitente. En este aviso legal se omiten intencionalmente las tildes. Este mensaje ha sido revisado por un sistema antivirus, por lo que su contenido esta libre de virus. This e-mail has been scanned by an antivirus system, so its content is virus free.

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Talk by Dr Julie Chen at Goldsmiths, University of London
by Lina Dencik 20 May '25

20 May '25

Dear all, I am pleased to inform you of the next AI Justice Research Seminar at Goldsmiths, University of London, with Dr Julie Chen (University of Toronto) which will take place on the 22nd of May at 5pm-6.30pm in room RHB143. See details below! Title: From Swindle to Study: Affects and Subjectivity of Data Workers for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Speaker: Dr Julie Chen (University of Toronto) Abstract: In this talk, I adopt an affective approach toward exploring the experience of AI data workers, focusing on how affective encounter and contradictions shape the worker subjectivity. My work is based on three years of fieldwork in China. The affective approach extends the analytic lens beyond the point of production to workers’ life course and embodied experience to capture workers’ precariousness within the broad socio-economic context of China as well as the global AI industry. I will identify and discuss four interrelated mechanisms that shape data workers' affective experiences in life and work: swindle, swiping, scold, and study. From an affective perspective, swindle, swiping, and scold contribute to data workers’ distrust and their feelings of unworthiness, indignity, and powerlessness. Workers resort to the discourse and practice of studying to mitigate the uncertainty and hostility they experience or anticipate, while simultaneously mobilizing their desire for autonomy and self-improvement. I argue these four mechanisms are emblematic of the affective governance and tensions in AI data production, contributing to the cultivation of the individualized self-responsible working subject. However, the practice of studying serves as a peculiar epistemological bridge to achieve the workplace consent as well as ideological identification with the hegemonic imagination of AI power in China. Attending to nuanced yet under-explored affective dimensions of data workers, this talk demonstrates that affects are not only subject to the extractive production regime in AI data industry but also mobilized to rationalize and reconcile structural contradictions experienced by workers. Bio: Julie Chen is Assistant Professor in the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology (ICCIT) and Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, Canada. She is the co-author of Media and Management (University of Minnesota Press, 2021) and Super-sticky WeChat and Chinese Society (Emerald, 2018). Her research focuses on the transformation of work and worker's subjectivity in relation to digital technology, capitalism, and globalization. Her current project examines the AI data work in China. She is the founding editor of Platforms & Society. The talk will be chaired by Dr Aleena Chia from the Department of Media, Communication and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. All welcome! Best, Lina -- Professor Lina Dencik University Research Leader in AI Justice Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Goldsmiths, University of London Co-Founder of Data Justice Lab

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