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

WEBCAST JUN 12 – Atlantic Council – Why the UN’s Internet Governance Forum still matters twenty years on
by Joly MacFie 13 Jun '25

13 Jun '25

[image: ISOC LIVE] <https://isoc.live/19443>*LIVESTREAM <https://youtu.be/3wQM99xzTGk> | REGISTER <https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/why-the-uns-internet-governance-forum…> | PERMALINK <https://isoc.live/19443>* On *Thursday, June 12, 2025*, at *09:00 EDT* (13:00 UTC), the *Atlantic Council’s Democracy + Tech Initiative <https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/digital-forensic-research-lab/demo…>*will host *a conversation <https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/why-the-uns-internet-governance-forum…>* on the importance of the *Internet Governance Forum <https://intgovforum.org/>* (IGF) and the role it has played for the past twenty years in providing an open, inclusive, and diverse space for discussing internet policy and governance. This event, held in the lead up to the 2025 IGF, will highlight the value of the annual forum and why digital democracy depends on keeping the internet open, global, and inclusive. The conversation will also showcase the Atlantic Council’s work to champion a free and open internet. *SPEAKERS* *Vint Cerf* – Chair, IGF Leadership Panel / Chief Internet Evangelist, Google *Anriette Esterhuysen* – Senior Advisor on Global and Regional Internet Governance, Association for Progressive Communications (APC) *Jason Pielemeier* – Executive Director, Global Network Initiative (GNI) *Chengetai Masango* – Head of Office, United Nations Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum *MODERATOR* *Konstantinos Komaitis* – Resident Senior Fellow, Democracy + Tech Initiative ** 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: Communicating Science, Climate Change and the Environment in Hybrid Media. Constructed Facts, Contested Truths.
by Anna Rantasila (LUT) 13 Jun '25

13 Jun '25

Dear AoIR Colleagues, Some of you might be interested in an edited volume about science and environment communication that just came out. The book, Communicating Science, Climate Change and the Environment in Hybrid Media. Constructed Facts, Contested Truths, delves into various cases of how established science is both contested and used to legitimize various actions both in online and offline spaces. The book is available in Open Access! Please see more on the publisher's website: https://www.routledge.com/Communicating-Science-Climate-Change-and-the-Envi… With Kind Regards, Anna Dr. Anna Rantasila anna.rantasila(a)lut.fi<mailto:anna.rantasila@lut.fi> +358 50 3223039 University Lecturer, Communication Sciences Head of the Master’s programme in Global Communication and Clean Air, Water and Energy School of Engineering Sciences LUT University

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Online Interviews and Focus Groups
by Janet Salmons 12 Jun '25

12 Jun '25

Researchers interested in ways to use technology tools to connect human to human might find this series of posts useful: Do Research Interviews Online https://tinyurl.com/emj74kua Prepare for an online interview https://tinyurl.com/339nz9kv Online Interviews: Resources for Researchers https://tinyurl.com/6z54ptjk Online Focus Groups: The Essentials https://tinyurl.com/3576w5e6 Online Focus Groups: Tools and platforms that support research https://tinyurl.com/mrfs53tm Subscribe to When the Field is Online on Substack to receive newsletters with original writing and lots of open-access resources. Contact me off-list if you have resources or events to share with readers. Take care, Janet Janet Salmons, PhD (She/her/hers) www.salmons.blog Unabhängie Forscherin, Free-Range Scholar and Creative 2024 Research Fellow, Center for Advanced Internet Studies Boulder, Colorado USA janet(a)salmons.blog<mailto:jsalmons@vision2lead.com> Subscribe to "When the Field is Online" free monthly newsletter http://tinyurl.com/qualnews

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CFP: Confronting Technofeudalism and Digital Authoritarianism: Challenges and Solutions for the European Regulation.
by Joly MacFie 12 Jun '25

12 Jun '25

(via Columbia Global Freedom of Expression <https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/newsletter-archive/>) *Call for papers – Confronting Technofeudalism and Digital Authoritarianism: Challenges and Solutions for the European Regulation*. Ahead of its annual conference on technofeudalism, digital authoritarianism, and the EU’s regulation of the digital sphere, the Digital Authoritarianism Research Lab welcomes <https://columbia.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b024e7a0c16e2779164ac24…> submissions. The many topics include “Future of online content moderation as a tool of repression” and “The global rise of digital authoritarianism.” The deadline for abstracts is *June 17*. Learn more here <https://columbia.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5b024e7a0c16e2779164ac24…> . -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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IJOC Special Section: True Costs of Misinformation
by Jonathan Ong 12 Jun '25

12 Jun '25

Hi, folks. Inviting y’all to check out a newly published special section for IJOC entitled “True Costs of Misinformation”: Guest-edited by Jonathan Corpus Ong and Joan Donovan, this Special Section on True Costs of Misinformation engages the following key questions: Who pays for the harms and damage brought by misinformation? What are the financial, social, and human costs to society? Whose definitions and measures of digital harms matter when coordinating a global response? Crucially, what is the future of disinformation studies? What concepts and debates should disinformation scholars continue to engage with, and what methodologies and advocacy strategies need to be discarded? This Special Section gathers articles written by senior and junior scholars who attended an international and interdisciplinary workshop of the same name in March 2022. Most of these papers were written during a more hopeful and less risky "peak moment" for tech accountability and tech justice advocacy especially in the United States. These papers collectively offer powerful critiques to the foundational frameworks and methodologies in disinformation studies and the tech-first, top-down, and U.S.-centric interventions industry. In this first paper, Alice Marwick and Katherine Furl offer extremism and radicalization researchers a framework to study "redpilling" as a process as they advocate for long-term, values-based interventions. In the second paper, Amogh Dhar Sharma presents a model of deep ethnographic investigation that move beyond examining disinformation as content to explore how politicians in India misuse state resources and funnel "black money" to reward media manipulators who help them stay in power. Three papers deal with the important yet overlooked issue of audience reception of misinformation and conspiracy theories-across diverse contexts of the Asian diaspora in the United States (Rachel Kuo, Madhavi Reddi, and Lan Li), audiences in Kenya and Senegal (Dani Madrid Morales, Melissa Tully, Kevin C. Mudavadi, Frankline Matanji, and Layire Diop), and political fans in the Philippines (Nicole Curato and Sofia Tomacruz). Finally, Samantha Bradshaw, Gabrielle Lim, and Monzima Haque critique the global diffusion of anti-fake news legislation in a global context and how a more inclusive and context-aware approach is less vulnerable to authoritarian capture than the mainstream securitization frame. With their critical, contextual, and community-driven approaches mindful of global differences and inequalities, these papers prompt powerful reflection on what the field in its peak moment got right–and also what it got wrong in both its research and activist methodologies. We invite you to read these articles that published in the International Journal of Communication on June 10, 2025. Please log into ijoc.org to read the papers of interest. We look forward to your feedback! _____________________________________________________________________________________ The True Costs of Misinformation—Introduction<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/25…> Jonathan Corpus Ong, Joan Donovan Mountains of Evidence: Processual "Redpilling" as a Socio-Technical Effect of Disinformation<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21…> Alice E. Marwick, Katherine Furl Political Finance and Patronage Behind Disinformation: Evidence From India's Election Campaigns<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21…> Amogh Dhar Sharma Transnational Information Networks: Methods for Cross-Diasporic Research<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21…> Rachel Kuo, Madhavi Reddi, Lan Li Exploring Audience Agency in Countering Misinformation<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21…> Dani Madrid-Morales, Melissa Tully, Kevin C. Mudavadi, Frankline Matanji, Layire Diop How Conspiracy Theories Harm Deliberative Democracy<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/22…> Nicole Curato, Sofia Tomacruz The Global Spread of Misinformation Laws<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21…> Samantha Bradshaw, Gabrielle Lim, Monzima Haque Dr Jonathan Corpus Ong Professor of Global Digital Media GloTechLab.net Founding Director UMass Amherst Recent research: 1. The Global Majority Has Its Own Counter-Disinformation Agenda: https://mediawell.ssrc.org/articles/the-global-majority-has-its-own-counter… 2. Tech Bro Power Play: Zuckerberg vs Global Tech Justice: https://www.techpolicy.press/tech-bro-power-play-zuckerberg-vs-global-tech-… 3. Disinformation-for-Hire as Everyday Digital Labor: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/20563051231224723

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Call for Chapters: Enhancing Community Empowerment Through Digital Transformation in Local Governance
by Hakikur Rahman 12 Jun '25

12 Jun '25

Call for Chapters: Enhancing Community Empowerment Through Digital Transformation in Local Governance Editor Hakikur Rahman, International Standard University, Bangladesh Call for Chapters Proposals Submission Deadline: July 27, 2025 Full Chapters Due: October 19, 2025 Introduction Digital transformation is reshaping local governance, offering new opportunities to strengthen transparency, service delivery, and citizen participation at the grassroots. While e-governance has progressed significantly at national and regional levels, its application in local contexts remains inconsistent, often hindered by infrastructural, institutional, and socio-economic challenges. This edited volume explores how digital technologies—such as AI, data analytics, mobile platforms, and blockchain—can empower communities and foster inclusive, participatory governance at the local level. Drawing on diverse case studies and interdisciplinary perspectives, the book examines practical frameworks, emerging innovations, and policy implications that support effective digital inclusion and community engagement. By focusing on real-world experiences and scalable solutions, this volume aims to contribute to the global discourse on localized e-governance and offer actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers alike. Objective This book seeks to advance the understanding of how digital transformation can be effectively applied to local governance structures to enhance community empowerment. While much of the existing research on e-governance focuses on national or urban-level implementations, this volume specifically addresses the often-overlooked grassroots tier—where governance is most directly experienced by citizens. The book aims to fill critical gaps in current literature by: • Bridging theory and practice: It connects conceptual frameworks of digital governance with real-world applications at the local level, providing evidence-based insights from diverse contexts. • Highlighting community-centric approaches: It emphasizes bottom-up digital initiatives that prioritize local needs, participation, and inclusivity, rather than top-down models that often fail to resonate at the grassroots. • Integrating emerging technologies: By exploring the roles of AI, data analytics, mobile technology, and blockchain, the book illustrates how innovation can drive transparency, service efficiency, and participatory decision-making. • Offering comparative perspectives: Through contributions from developed, developing, and transitional economies, the book provides a broader understanding of the challenges and opportunities in implementing localized digital governance. Target Audience This book is intended for a diverse audience spanning academia, government, civil society, and the development sector. It will be particularly valuable for: • Researchers and Academics in public administration, political science, digital governance, development studies, and ICT4D, seeking up-to-date, practice-informed perspectives on grassroots e-governance and digital inclusion. • Policymakers and Government Officials, especially those working in local government, decentralization, and digital transformation initiatives, who require actionable insights and scalable models for community engagement through technology. • Development Practitioners and NGOs involved in community development, civic participation, and digital literacy programs at the local level. • Technology Developers and Consultants working on digital public service delivery, civic tech, and e-governance tools aimed at improving governance effectiveness and inclusivity. • Graduate Students and Educators looking for case studies, comparative analyses, and conceptual frameworks to enrich curriculum and research in governance and digital innovation. Recommended Topics (but not limited to) · Conceptual Foundations of Digital Transformation and E-Governance o Definitions, theories, and evolution of digital governance at the local level o Frameworks for community-centric e-governance · Digital Inclusion and Bridging the Digital Divide o Strategies to ensure access for marginalized and rural populations o Gender, age, and socio-economic dimensions of digital access · Technologies Enabling Local Governance Transformation o Applications of AI, data analytics, mobile platforms, and blockchain o Role of open data and interoperability in local service delivery · Case Studies of Local e-Governance Implementation o Comparative analyses from developed, developing, and transitional economies o Success stories and lessons learned from community-level initiatives · Participatory Governance and Civic Engagement o Digital platforms for citizen feedback, participatory budgeting, and e-consultations o Enhancing transparency and accountability through civic tech · Capacity Building and Digital Literacy o Training local government officials and community members o Addressing resistance to technology adoption · Policy and Institutional Frameworks for Local e-Governance o National and sub-national policy alignment o Legal and regulatory considerations · Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, and Ethical Challenges o Protecting community data and ensuring trust in digital systems o Balancing innovation with accountability · Monitoring and Evaluating e-Governance at the Grassroots o Indicators for impact assessment and sustainability o Community-driven evaluation methods · Future Directions and Scalable Models o Designing adaptive, resilient, and inclusive local governance systems o Research agendas and policy recommendations Submission Procedure Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before July 27, 2025, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by August 10, 2025 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by October 19, 2025, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project. Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Enhancing Community Empowerment Through Digital Transformation in Local Governance. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process. All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission manager. Publisher This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing, an international academic publisher of the "Information Science Reference," "Medical Information Science Reference," "Business Science Reference," and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com/ . This publication is anticipated to be released in 2026. Important Dates July 27, 2025: Proposal Submission Deadline August 10, 2025: Notification of Acceptance October 19, 2025: Full Chapter Submission Inquiries Hakikur Rahman International Standard University mailto:email@hakik.org To submit your chapter proposal please follow the link: https://www.igi-global.com/publish/call-for-papers/call-details/9015

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Call for Papers: Third Cultural Studies Conference – CULTURE OR BARBARISM (Barcelona, Nov 13-14, 2025)
by Daniel Aranda Juarez 11 Jun '25

11 Jun '25

Dear colleagues, We are pleased to invite you to the third edition of the Cultural Studies Conference organized by the GAME research group at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain), to be held on November 13–14, 2025, under the title *CULTURE OR BARBARISM. Tensions around culture in the 21st century.* We believe this conference may be of interest to you, and we would appreciate it if you could circulate the information among your academic contacts. Best regards, GAME Research Group – Universitat Oberta de Catalunya ------------------------------ *Call for Papers* Culture has been a central concept in Cultural Studies, understood as a way of life, social expression, system of values, and a field traversed by power relations. From this perspective, reflecting on culture also means examining its symbolic boundaries, as Edward Said noted when contrasting the familiar space of "our" culture against the "barbarism" of the other. Today, in a context marked by ideological conflicts, symbolic struggles, and technological transformations, it is urgent to rethink what we mean by culture, how it is regulated, who produces it, who is excluded, and which materialities sustain it. This conference proposes five areas of critical reflection on contemporary cultural tensions: 1. The materiality of culture and the working conditions and sustainability of cultural production. 2. The relationship between culture and technology in a digitalized context. 3. Cultural identities and narratives, with particular attention to symbolic hierarchies. 4. Institutions, cultural policies, and forms of citizen participation. 5. Media, spaces, and creative practices that are reshaping the cultural ecosystem. These topics invite discussions on the conflicts, paradoxes, and possibilities of the cultural field in the 21st century. *Submission of Proposals* We invite submissions in the form of an abstract (between 400 and 500 words) outlining the focus of the presentation and its contribution to the conference discussion. Presentations will be delivered in Spanish. Submissions should include: - Title of the presentation - Full name and institutional affiliation (if applicable) - Contact email address - Short biographical note (maximum 100 words) Proposals may be submitted in Catalan, Spanish, or English, and should be sent via email to: game(a)uoc.edu. *Deadline for submission: June 30, 2025.* Further information about the conference can be found at this link <https://gameresearch.uoc.edu/seminario-de-estudios-culturales-iii/>. -- Daniel Aranda Juarez Estudis de Ciències de la Informació i de la Comunicació *Sotsdirector de recerca* darandaj(a)uoc.edu grup recerca GAME <http://gameresearch.uoc.edu/> twitter <https://twitter.com/darandaj> ORCID 0000-0001-9290-0708 <http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9290-0708> Campus UOC Rambla del Poblenou, 156 08018 Barcelona [image: UOC] <http://www.uoc.edu> -- *Aquest missatge s'adreça exclusivament al seu destinatari i pot contenir informació confidencial. Si no sou el destinatari indicat, no utilitzeu, divulgueu ni copieu sense autorització el contingut del missatge. *Si heu rebut aquest missatge per error, us demanem que ens ho feu saber immediatament per aquesta via i que el destruïu.** *El responsable de les dades facilitades en aquest correu és la UOC; la finalitat és mantenir la relació contractual o facilitar-vos la informació que necessiteu. Les dades podran conservar-se mentre es mantingui la relació o s'hagi donat per resolta la sol·licitud d'informació. La base jurídica és la relació contractual que manteniu amb la UOC o, si s'escau, l'interès legítim de la UOC a donar-vos resposta.* *Les dades no seran cedides per al seu ús per tercers; hi poden tenir accés únicament proveïdors que ens presten serveis auxiliars i que tenen la condició d'encarregats del tractament.* *Podeu exercir els drets previstos als articles 15 a 22 del RGPD adreçant-vos a **fuoc_pd(a)uoc.edu* <mailto:fuoc_pd@uoc.edu>*. Podeu contactar amb el nostre delegat de protecció de dades a **dpd(a)uoc.edu* <mailto:dpd@uoc.edu>*. Així mateix, teniu dret a presentar una reclamació davant l'APDCAT.* *Este mensaje se dirige exclusivamente a su destinatario y puede contener información confidencial. Si usted no es el destinatario indicado, no utilice, divulgue ni copie sin autorización su contenido. *Si ha recibido este mensaje por error, le pedimos que nos lo haga saber inmediatamente por esta vía y que lo destruya.** *El responsable de los datos facilitados en este correo es la UOC; su finalidad es mantener la relación contractual o facilitarle la información que necesita. Los datos podrán conservarse mientras se mantenga la relación o se haya dado por resuelta la solicitud de información. La base jurídica es la relación contractual que mantiene con la UOC o, en su caso, el interés legítimo de la UOC de darle respuesta.* *Los datos no serán cedidos para su uso por terceros; pueden tener acceso a ellos únicamente proveedores que nos prestan servicios auxiliares y que tienen la condición de encargados del tratamiento.* _Puede ejercer los derechos previstos en los artículos 15 a 22 del RGPD dirigiéndose a *fuoc_pd(a)uoc.edu* <mailto:fuoc_pd@uoc.edu>_. Puede contactar con nuestro delegado de protección de datos en *dpd(a)uoc.edu* <mailto:dpd@uoc.edu>_. Así mismo, tiene derecho a presentar una reclamación ante la APDCAT.___ *This message is intended exclusively for its recipient and may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, do not use, disclose or copy its contents without authorization. *If you have received this message in error, please let us know immediately through this channel and destroy it.** *The data controller for the data provided in this email is the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), and the purpose is to maintain the contractual relationship or provide you with any information you may need. The data may be retained for as long as the relationship continues or until the request for information is deemed to have been resolved. The legal basis is your contractual relationship with the UOC or, where applicable, its legitimate interest in responding to you.* *The data will not be transferred for use by third parties; only providers that provide auxiliary services and act as data processors may have access.* *You can exercise the rights provided in Articles 15 to 22 of the GDPR by writing to **fuoc_pd(a)uoc.edu* <mailto:fuoc_pd@uoc.edu>*. 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CFP: AOIR Preconference 2025: The Model and the Reactor: Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure from Public, Private and Beyond
by Fenwick Mckelvey 11 Jun '25

11 Jun '25

Hi all To all AOIR attendees, please consider attending. We have ~20 spots for presentations but we are hoping to hear from you by 27 June 2026 to gauge interest. We are asking for short abstracts to help us organize the conference. Full-day, 15 October 2025 at AOIR 2025 Big AI’s demands for this world are becoming clearer. Microsoft, in 2023, announced plans to build new data centers with nuclear power to fuel new energy-hungry models (Calma, 2023). Google and Amazon made similar announcements subsequently (da Silva, 2024; Olick, 2024). Plans to build nuclear-powered AI data centers clearly illustrate the scale and consequences of AI as a social blueprint — rendering clear “the choices (implicit or explicit) made in the course of technological innovation” and demanding reflection on “the grounds for making those choices wisely” (Winner, 1986, p. 18). Building on the material turn in Internet Studies (Hesmondhalgh, 2022; Sandvig, 2013), our preconference gathers scholars to explore ruptures against the growing cyberphysical project of “Big AI” (van der Vlist et al., 2024) or “AI as platform” (Mahnke & Bagger, 2024). We welcome all AOIR attendees to participate in our preconference. To help us organize the pre-conference, please complete this survey to request a presentation slot, or to be a facilitator: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=hfFpVS_SE06YUM5bGr… We ask potential presenters and facilitators to please complete the form by 27 June 2025 to give us time to organize. Please read the preconfernece's description below. *Our preconference has three objectives:* 1. Share findings and digital methods that expose AI’s global technological footprint with an emphasis on the Americas or engaged and speculative research on alternative AI infrastructures that may include local or regional infrastructure, the fediverse, frugal AI infrastructures, decentralized, and/or distributed infrastructures; 2. Facilitate comparative policy research on measures to promote alternative AI infrastructures as well as benefit public interest and community benefits for these alternative infrastructures; 3. Develop a joint statement about recommendations for a new infrastructure for AI to be written collaboratively by discussants. Together, our pre-conference seeks to cultivate an international research community dedicated to understanding AI’s infrastructural impact and its alternatives. The conference offers international scholars a chance to develop collaborative projects as well as shape collective policy recommendations. Outputs directly advance the annual call for “strategies and tactics to address the ruptures caused by platformization” in this case of AI? We focus our call on questioning what public interest infrastructure would look like for AI. Public interest AI refers to “support those outcomes best serving the long-term survival and well-being of a social collective construed as a ‘public’” (Public Interest AI, n.d.). The Paris Charter on Artificial Intelligence in the Public Interest (2025), published after the Paris AI Summit, aims to “encourage a more comprehensive and inclusive design of AI in the public interest, in terms of technology, organization and institutions that serve different jurisdictions and communities in attaining similar success.” Public interest AI, however, is already a contentious term and not dissimilar to other terms “AI for Good” or “Responsible AI” that can act as ethics washing (Bourne, 2024; Wagner, 2018). Scholarly attention is required to define public interest AI as a critical concept. The preconference will be a full day to ensure there is time for presentations, networking, and collaborative activities. Participants will be selected through a peer-reviewed call with two tracks, one for presentations and a second for discussants and facilitators. Presentations will advance objectives 1 and 2 in the morning. The afternoon will leverage discussants and facilitators to develop collaborative research projects and synthesize research into a joint statement. Our schedule can accommodate two parallel tracks to welcome 20 presentations and a total of 50 participants. A closing plenary will showcase key themes, with discussants offering reflections and key insights from the day. Our preconference intends to be multilingual, with collaborators working in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The steering committee will accept abstracts in all four languages. The preconference is made possible by the Chaire de recherche du Québec sur l’intelligence artificielle et le numérique francophones and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Organizers: Fenwick McKelvey-Concordia University, Canada; Mónica Humeres-Universidad de Chile; Claudia López-Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María; Veridiana Domingos Cordeiro-University of São Paulo; Luciano Frizzera-University of Waterloo; Nicolas Chartier-Edwards – Institut national de la recherche scientifique References Calma, J. (2023, September 26). Microsoft is going nuclear to power its AI ambitions. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/26/23889956/microsoft-next-generation-nucle… da Silva, J. (2024, October 15). Google turns to nuclear to power AI data centres. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c748gn94k95o Hesmondhalgh, D. (2022). The Infrastructural turn in Media and Internet Research Proposal review. In P. McDonald (Ed.), The Routledge companion to media industries (pp. 132–142). Routledge. Mahnke, M. S., & Bagger, C. (2024). Navigating platformized generative AI: Examining early adopters’ experiences through the lens of data reflectivity. Convergence, 30(6), 1974–1991. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241300857 Olick, D. (2024, October 16). Amazon goes nuclear, plans to invest more than $500 million to develop small modular reactors. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/energy/amazon-goes-nuclear-plans-invest-50… Public Interest AI. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://publicinterest.ai/ Sandvig, C. (2013). The Internet as Infrastructure. In W. H. Dutton (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Internet studies (pp. 86–108). Oxford University Press. The Paris Charter on Artificial Intelligence in the Public Interest. (2025, February 11). Elysee.Fr. https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2025/02/11/the-paris-charter-on-ar… van der Vlist, F., Helmond, A., & Ferrari, F. (2024). Big AI: Cloud infrastructure dependence and the industrialisation of artificial intelligence. Big Data & Society, 11(1), 20539517241232630. https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517241232630 Wagner, B. (2018). Ethics As An Escape From Regulation: From “Ethics-washing” to Ethics-shopping? In E. Bayamlioğlu, I. Baraliuc, L. Janssens, & M. Hildebrandt (Eds.), Being Profiled (pp. 84–89). Amsterdam University Press; JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvhrd092.18 Winner, L. (1986). The Whale and the Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology. University of Chicago Press. -- Be good, Fenwick

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Invitation to ANIMATING DIGITAL IDENTITIES: Diverse Perspectives on the “Avatar” in the Age of Distributed Digital Environments (17 June 2025 @ Greenwich) [Updated Programme]
by Nicola Bozzi 11 Jun '25

11 Jun '25

Dear all, With apologies for cross-posting, I am sharing the updated programme of our event about avatars and digital identities that is taking place at Greenwich on 17 June. Please find more info by visiting the website <https://www.animatedigital.co.uk/> and register on the Eventbrite page <https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/animating-digital-identities-tickets-1328324…>. I am also pasting the programme below. The event will also be accessible via streaming on Teams, for those unable to reach our location in London: Join the meeting <https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NGRiMDIwNzYtZTUwNS00…>Meeting ID: 349 170 467 888 4 Passcode: tV7aF94X Looking forward to seeing you next week! Best, Nicola Bozzi Lecturer in Critical Media Practice University of Greenwich, School of Design schizocities.com / @schizocities --- *ANIMATING DIGITAL IDENTITIES* *Diverse Perspectives on the “Avatar” in the Age of Distributed Digital Environments * *Date: *17 June 2025 *Times: *9.30 to 19.30 *Location: *University of Greenwich, 10 Stockwell St, London SE10 9BD Lecture Theatre - 11_0003 *Curated by Nicola Bozzi, Ghislaine Boddington, Tatiana Isaeva and Olive Gingrich. Supported by the Institute for Inclusive Communities and Environments, School of Design, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Greenwich, in collaboration with the Hybrid Presence Research Cluster. This event is supported as the Annual Symposium of the Centre for Spatial and Digital Ecologies. * Digital identity has gained unprecedented cultural and social momentum in the last decade - both as an individual concern and far-reaching asset. >From video game avatars to political campaign videos, from family WhatsApp groups to virtual health assistants - in our digital everyday life, the expression and performance of a wider and increasingly accessible range of digital selves and bodies has become commonplace in large parts of the world. This has been amplified and complicated by the accelerating pace of technical innovation across mediated environments - i.e metaverse platforms, AR, XR, generative AI, all linked to increasingly hyper-targeted recommendation algorithms. At the same time, the cost and speed of data in developing (low and middle- income) countries remains a sometimes-existential factor, making sustainability an issue for these evolutions. *- What implications do these omnipresent platforms for representation have in terms of inclusion, well-being, and overall social good?* *- What kinds of new practices of the “avatar” are emerging, between gaming platforms, social media, and the many metaverses inhabited by our distributed digital bodies?* We need interdisciplinary discussions, not only about the societal repercussions of these technologies, but the opportunities they expand for the creative renegotiation of our relationship with technology, the self, and each other. For this reason, this event approaches digital identity as a prism through which the social and the cultural are refracted, *inviting diverse perspectives to examine theories and practices of the “avatar” in the age of distributed digital environments. * --- *PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY* *9.30* *–** 10:00 **/ REGISTRATION * *10:00 – 10:15 **/ OPENING REMARKS **by the curators Nicola Bozzi, Ghislaine Boddington, Tatiana Isaeva and Olive Gingrich * *10:30 – 12:00 **/ Panel 1: Animating Platformed Identities * How are avatars and digital identities becoming a global political-economic asset? This panel explores different theoretical and artistic ways in which gaming technologies and social media affect the expression of identity and how digital identity itself shifts from individual bodies/characters towards distributed commodities and communities. *Speakers – Aleena Chia, Alexandra Anikina, Nicola Bozzi, Nina DaviesChair – Jane Frances Dunlop * *12.00 **–** 12:30 **/ BREAK - *Student Showcase *12:30 – 14:00 **/ Panel 2: Animating Avatars for Social Good * How are animated digital identities, increasingly connected to real-time data, pushing forward connected access to our individual and group social needs as living beings? This panel focuses on a diverse range of digital bodies working across time and space, rapidly evolving and being adopted in a range of social need sectors, for example education, health, social connectivity and wellbeing. *Speakers – Sarah Ticho, Camille Baker, Ghislaine Boddington, Olive Gingrich* *Chairs – Ghislaine Boddington and Olive Gingrich. * *14:00 – 15:00 */ *LUNCH and SHOWCASE * *15:00 – 16:00* * / Round Tables: Animating Futures*Rotating discussion around the themes: *Identity/Representation, Technologies/Infrastructures, Posthuman Creativity**, Digital Human Twins - Our Future Data Selves* *Mediators - Eric Wong, Ryan Flynn, JC Kristensen**, Ghislaine Boddington* *16.00 **–** 16.30 * */ TEA BREAK* *16.30 **–** 17:00 * */ Sharings from Round Tables* *17:00 – **17:5**0 / Conversation: Digital Spaces & Digital Bodies* *Participants – **Dian Joy, Tatiana Isaeva, Ghislaine Boddington* *17.50 **–** 18:00 **/ Conclusions * *Student Showcase **(running parallel) - *curated digital art showcase of works by students and alumni of the School of Design, University of Greenwich *Reception and Networking * *Supported by the Institute for Inclusive Communities and Environments, School of Design, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Greenwich, in collaboration with the Hybrid Presence Research Cluster. This event is supported as the Annual Symposium of the Centre for Spatial and Digital Ecologies.*

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Invitation: MCCI Research Talks
by Devina Sarwatay 11 Jun '25

11 Jun '25

Please join us for the next *MCCI Research Talks* coming up this month! Carolina Matos and Raluca Moise (MCCI) will share their latest research in advocacy communications with invited NGO practitioners and guest speakers: Mariela Belski, Executive Director of Amnesty International Argentina and Associate Professor Jessica Oliveira, of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and CEO of the NGO Saving Mothers. This event is supported by ECREA. *Title* NGOs advocacy communications in times of crisis and uncertainty: discussing challenges and building a roadmap for change *Date and Time* Wednesday, 25th June 2025, 17:00 – 18:30 (BST) *Room* C309 (Tait Building), Hybrid: In-person and Online *Event link* https://www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/2025/june/ngos-advoc… *REGISTRATION: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5swFuKZWYYO7yaq <https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5swFuKZWYYO7yaq>* *MCCI Research Talks* are open to all subject to registration. These talks are organised by MCCI Research Lead, Carolina Matos and supported by Presidential Fellow, Devina Sarwatay. Please share details with your networks and see you there! *Devina Sarwatay, PhD* Presidential Fellow <https://www.city.ac.uk/about/people/academics/devina-sarwatay> Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries School of Communication & Creativity City St George’s, University of London Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB My pronouns are she/her Email: devina.sarwatay(a)citystgeorges.ac.uk www.citystgeorges.ac.uk <http://www.city.ac.uk/> @DevinaSarwatay Vice-Chair, Media Education Research, IAMCR <https://iamcr.org/> International Liaison, Children Adolescents and Media Division, ICA <https://www.icahdq.org/> Publishing ThinkIN Group, The British Academy <https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/> *Selected publications:* Children, Media, and Technology: Access/Use <https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003453123-3/access-…> Journal of Autoethnography: From the Self to the Community <https://online.ucpress.edu/joae/article-abstract/4/2/298/196099/From-the-Se…> Media International Australia: Exploring children’s TikTok cultures in India <https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878X221127037> 🏆Information, Communication & Society: Young People and Social Media in India <https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2021.1988129> (ICA CAM Best Published Article 2023) Frontiers in Human Dynamics: Media Literacy, Social Connectedness, and Digital Citizenship in India <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.601239/full> Wiley-Blackwell: Young People's Meme Cultures in India <https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119166900.ch6> Journal of Communication: Decolonizing Open Science <https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqab027> *Confidentiality Notice * This message (including any attachments) contains information that may be confidential. Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorised to receive for the intended recipient), you may not read, print, retain, use, copy, distribute or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message. If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by e-mail, and destroy all copies of the original message (including any attachments). Thank you.

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