July 2026 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Call for Participation - Winter School "Hallucinate, unbox, restart" (Naples, 27-29 October 2026)
by Camilla Volpe 17 Jul '26

17 Jul '26

Dear AoIR list, As Game of Tech<https://www.gameoftech.eu/>, following last year's edition we are happy to share the call for participation for the winter school "Hallucinate, unbox, restart: a winter school for slowing down inside the synthetic everyday", taking place in Naples, Italy, from 27 to 29 October 2026. In brief: the winter school offers a three-day path to critically engage with the "black box" imaginary of generative AI, combining autoethnography and art-based research to explore uses, counter-uses, and practices of appropriation of generative technologies. It welcomes PhD students, early-career researchers, artists, independent scholars, and anyone interested in the topic, from both humanistic and technical/ICT perspectives. Participation is free (limited to 20 places), though travel and accommodation costs are not covered. Application deadline: 31 August 2026. Full call below and here<https://www.gameoftech.eu/eventi/winterschool2026/>. The recent proliferation of generative AI systems has been accompanied by the entrenchment of a particular imaginary – one that frames and accept AI as a black box. This has a twofold implication. On one hand, it legitimates the design of AI structures, codes, and networks as hyper-opaque, restricting full comprehension of its operations and naturalizing this failure. On the other hand, this embedded opacity also makes it harder to look into another fundamental dimension of generative AI, stemming from the appreciation of the latter as a sociotechnical assemblage: its uses and counter-uses, practices of appropriation, deviation and renegotiation. The black box operates as a powerful narrative that erodes human agency. If machines are somehow shaping the future in ways that elude our understanding, no space is left to resist this trajectory. In such a framing, any possibility of unpredictable more-than-human interactions instantly collapses, along with any desertion from intended prescriptions and shared assumptions. And yet people keep engaging with AI in ways its producers never anticipated: pushing back, resisting, appropriating, redesigning, dismantling. Along with tangible uses, everyday habits and practical adaptations, what is at stake is the construction of imaginaries and the very possibility of trusting one own’s perception, senses and impressions. In the cities we inhabit, through our mobiles and the countless screens colonizing intimacy, offices, universities, public spaces and homes, we are relentlessly overexposed to an endless stream of synthetic images and fabricated worlds – a condition unevenly distributed, yet structurally intertwined across geographies. The explosion of generative AI, with its alleged democratizing power over content production, adds yet another layer to this saturation, blurring truths and hallucinations, probability and actuality, warping reality and gradually reshaping the very perceptive structures of the real. Two questions hold this framing together: * How can we engage with technologies whose authority rests on the claim of being inherently unknowable and that produces unstableness of sensed and perceived reality itself? * How do we navigate an increasingly opaque, enshittified and hallucinatory digital environment without losing sight of the material reality of its infrastructure and of its asymmetries? Our winter school sets out to pause on these questions: not to offer solutions, but to immerse ourselves in the contradictions, speculations, and alternatives such pause generates. We do so through a deliberate slowing-down: a collective pause in which observing our own gestures becomes a way of observing the world, and decomposing the everyday becomes a way of deconstructing the systems that frame it. To do so, it engages in a two-sided methodological intervention. Two modes of unboxing The school advances this exploration along two intertwined methodological lines: auto-ethnography and art-based research. First, we propose autoethnography as one mode of unboxing: a chance to slowly inhabit the ephemeral nature of using, interacting with, fighting against, and making kin with, generative AI. With autoethnography we will retrace our daily practices and mediated behaviours, reflecting on our positionality with intelligent (?) machines, and investigating our embodied, tangible, material experience in the so-called cloud. Second, to bring out the thickness of sociotechnical assemblages and engagements, we then propose to draw on art-based research: sound-works, multimedia installations, performances, speculative design iterations and narrative provocations are a way to voice, spatialize and process our affective interactions with AI. Unlocking the black box should therefore not be understood as a merely technical gesture. We conceive it instead as a process of deconstructing the standardized paradigm of use, through the exploration of the interstices within human-machine systems – an exploration that encompasses the appreciation of minute, granular, more-than-human interactions, as well as the grand picture that lies behind them. Eventually, this inquiry could become the generative site for redesigning both. We invite PhD students, early-career researchers, artists, independent scholars both from Humanities and ICTs, technology’s (un)enthusiasts, tech workers, hackers, and anyone curious to explore these concerns and to engage with such resources to apply for our winter school. The winter school will take place in Naples, Italy, from 27 to 29 October 2026. Over these three days, we will bring together seminars with scholars and artists, autoethnographic sessions and art-based workshops, and artistic re-enactments in a collective, convivial (some would say: fun) moment: * Situated and post-disciplinary approaches to digital inquiry * Artistic, speculative, and collaborative methodologies * Humanistic approach to technological affordances * ICT approach to social impacts of technology * Collectively hacking the code(s) Camilla Volpe Postdoctoral Researcher University of Milan Department of Social and Political Sciences Via Conservatorio 7, 20122 Milan, Italy Thinking about platforms, AI, and power – with Game of Tech<https://www.gameoftech.eu/> collective Siamo nati per chiederci perché. Il tuo 5xmille all'Università degli Studi di Milano Codice fiscale 80012650158 [https://sites.unimi.it/loghi/5x1000/5x1000.png]

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Postdoc opportunity at University of Amsterdam (deadline: 24 July)
by Jef Ausloos 17 Jul '26

17 Jul '26

Postdoc in geopolitics and governance of chip security value chains Apply: https://werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies/postdoc-in-geopolitics-and-governance… This postdoc position is part of an interdisciplinary project exploring chip-security in globalised value chains. The security of devices has gradually become more “infrastructural,” as it intertwines and relies upon cryptographic components and circuitry that are implemented in end devices. Moreover, soft/hardware design, production, assembly, and security evaluation happen across global supply chains, and regional differences in security certification schemes. This raises numerous legal, social, and political economy questions, complicating power dynamics over digital infrastructures, blurring the web of liabilities and responsibilities, all amidst growing geopolitical volatility. Against this background, how does security evaluation fit practically and legally into global supply chains? How does it interact with dominant actors and forces in the semiconductor and electronics industry, with states, national, regional, and/or international organizations? The postdoc is expected to leverage a (law and) political economy lens to map and analyse key actors and vulnerabilities across global value chains, and expose broader regulatory, societal, and political-economic power dynamics. We welcome candidates who are willing to challenge dominant frameworks, centre questions of equity and self-determination, and bring a justice-oriented lens to their research. The postdoc should be committed to critical, reflexive research that interrogates how laws, standards, and supply chains can reinforce asymmetric power relations such as imperialist logics, colonial continuities, and economic domination. What You Will Do This is a research position, allowing you to conduct in-depth, critical and empirical research, publish, and travel for workshops and conferences. You will be given substantial freedom to develop your own research agenda, under guidance of project co-lead Jef Ausloos. You will be embedded in the Institute for Information Law (IViR) and periodically liaise with project partners at the Institute for Informatics (IVI). Your tasks include: * Conduct interdisciplinary and empirical research into the governance and political economy of global security chip value chains; * Produce high quality academic output; * Attend and present your work at relevant workshops and conferences; * Organise team meetings with project partners; * Organise and host a workshop around your research; * Contribute to new grant applications. What We Expect from You * A completed PhD degree in political science, media studies, science and technology studies, law & technology, or any other (sub)field relevant to the project as briefly outlined above; * Excellent (empirical) research skills and an affinity with critical theory; * Curiosity and interest to go beyond one’s scholarly comfort zone, and actively engage across disciplines, using different methods; * Experience with research in globalised technology governance ecosystems; * Strong communication skills and an ability to engage with formal and bureaucratic (international) organisations for empirical research; * Collegial attitude and capacity to work both independently and in teams; * Experience with organising workshops, lecture series, or other professional events; * Excellent language skills in English; * You recognise that academic work is inherently political and approach your research with an ethic of accountability to communities disproportionately affected by digital infrastructure governance. If the vacancy appeals to you, but you are doubting whether you might be THE person we are looking for, please do apply. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. What We Offer You The Postdoctoral Researcher will be appointed at the University of Amsterdam, starting in November 2026. The employment contract will be for 24 months, 38 hours a week, with a probationary period of two months for new appointments. The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will vary between be € 4.728 to € 6.433 (scale 11) gross per month. This is exclusive 8% holiday and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The starting salary will be based on qualifications, expertise and relevant experience. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable. If you are applying from outside the EU, the UvA can also assist in the necessary visa application procedures. Your Workplace The Institute for Information Law<https://www.ivir.nl/> (IViR), officially established in 1989, is one of the largest research centers in the field of information law in Europe, and one of the largest of its kind in the world. The Institute employs over 45 people working across disciplines and topics related to the regulation and governance of the information society. We offer * excellent possibilities for further professional development and education; * the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at the University of Amsterdam and beyond; * opportunity to contribute to teaching and educational activities. The Amsterdam Law School has an international and interdisciplinary orientation, reflected in both its research and educational activities. The Amsterdam Law School offers three Bachelor’s programs, including the interdisciplinary English-language Bachelor Politics, Psychology, Law and Economics (PPLE) in cooperation with two other faculties, as well as a variety of Master's programs, several of which are taught exclusively in English (i.e. Technology Governance, International and European Law, European Private Law, etc.). Curious about our organization? Learn more about working at the University of Amsterdam here<https://www.uva.nl/over-de-uva/werken-bij-de-uva/werken-bij-de-uva>. Your Application and Contact Information If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter (max. 700 words), and CV. Please explicitly confirm whether you have or have not used generative AI tools in any part of the process of drafting your application, and if you have please explain how (max. 100 words). We value your honesty in this regard. You can apply via the red button until 23 July 2026. Interviews will take place in September. A Note on the use of Generative AI We do not believe in the inevitability of generative AI and will not use AI to evaluate your application. While there might be certain individual benefits to using generative AI, there are also significant biases, structural harm and exploitation involved with its development and use. We do not prohibit the use of generative AI tools altogether but ask you to be very mindful of how you use these tools, if you decide to use them at all. Importantly, we value honesty and authenticity over polished and generic letters. Apply via https://werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies/postdoc-in-geopolitics-and-governance…

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Re: Air-L Digest, Vol 266, Issue 4
by Antonius Schönberg 17 Jul '26

17 Jul '26

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Opportunity at the Datasphere Initiative – Policy Research Analyst (Latin America and the Caribbean)
by Thiago Moraes 17 Jul '26

17 Jul '26

[EN; Español abajo] Dear AoIR colleagues, I would like to share an exciting opportunity that may be of interest to members of this community. The *Datasphere Initiative* is currently recruiting a *Policy Research Analyst (Latin America and the Caribbean)* to join its growing team. The Datasphere Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering trustworthy and innovative data governance. Its work spans AI governance, (regulatory) sandboxes, cross-border data flows, and other agile governance approaches, bringing together governments, academia, civil society, and the private sector to develop practical governance solutions for emerging technologies. If you are interested in AI governance, digital policy, or data governance - and especially if you have experience in the Latin American and Caribbean region - I strongly encourage you to consider applying. It is also a wonderful opportunity to become part of an exceptionally diverse and collaborative international team. More information about the position is available here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/we-are-hiring-the-datasphere-initiative-shar… Feel free to share this opportunity with colleagues who might be interested. Best regards, Thiago Moraes ------------------------------ Estimadas y estimados colegas de AoIR, Quisiera compartir una oportunidad que puede ser de interés para esta comunidad. La *Datasphere Initiative* está buscando un/a *Policy Research Analyst (Latin America and the Caribbean)* para incorporarse a su equipo. La Datasphere Initiative es una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a promover una gobernanza de datos confiable e innovadora. Su trabajo abarca gobernanza de la IA, sandboxes, flujos transfronterizos de datos y otros enfoques de gobernanza ágil, reuniendo a gobiernos, academia, sociedad civil y sector privado para desarrollar soluciones prácticas frente a los desafíos de las tecnologías emergentes. Si trabajan o tienen interés en gobernanza de la IA, políticas digitales o gobernanza de datos, especialmente en América Latina y el Caribe, les animo a postular. También es una excelente oportunidad para formar parte de un equipo internacional muy diverso, colaborativo y comprometido. Más información sobre la vacante: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/we-are-hiring-the-datasphere-initiative-shar… No duden en compartir esta convocatoria con otras personas que puedan estar interesadas. Un cordial saludo, Thiago Moraes

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Re: Air-L Digest, Vol 266, Issue 2
by Antonius Schönberg 16 Jul '26

16 Jul '26

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CfP: Reacting to Digital Content (IPrA 2027, Helsinki)
by Pfurtscheller, Daniel 16 Jul '26

16 Jul '26

Dear all, I would like to draw your attention to the panel “Reacting to Digital Content: Pragmatics of Reuse, Uptake and Affective Alignment” at the 20th International Pragmatics Conference in Helsinki. The panel focuses on digital reaction formats and how digital content is taken up, reused, and transformed across platforms. We look forward to receiving submissions. Abstracts of up to 500 words are due by 15 October 2026. Full call: https://universe.uibk.ac.at/s/gZNmg83tWgQMMfC Cheers: Daniel -- Mag. Dr. Daniel Pfurtscheller Assistenzprofessor · Institut für Germanistik · Universität Innsbruck https://www.uibk.ac.at/germanistik/institut/personen/pfurtscheller ~ neu & open access ~ On exploring the visual grounds and affordances of AI-generated images through multimodal walkthroughs (https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003740261-4) Visual literacies in transition: Multimodal co-production with generative AI (https://doi.org/10.1080/1051144X.2025.2566592) In der Schnipselwerkstatt. Multimodale Videozitate, Verwertungspraktiken und Reflexivität auf TikTok (https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-70712-8_4)

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Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in AI and Communication - University of Queensland
by Nicholas Carah 16 Jul '26

16 Jul '26

Hello everyone, The School of Communication and Arts at The University of Queensland are recruiting a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in AI and Communication. This is a full-time, continuing academic position. Details on the role and UQ here: https://uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/uqcareers/job/St-Lucia-Campus/Lecturer-Sen… Please feel free to share widely and be in touch if you have any questions. Best, Nic Nicholas Carah Director of Centre for Digital Cultures and Societies | Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Professor | School of Communication and Arts The University of Queensland n.carah(a)uq.edu.au<mailto:n.carah@uq.edu.au> | UQ Researchers<https://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/1512>

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Re: [AoIR HQ] Next up in the AoIR Lecture Series — Ethics in Internet Research (Roundtable #3)
by Association Coordinator 15 Jul '26

15 Jul '26

Hi again AoIR Community, To learn more about our lecture series, including our past events and where to find the archive, please visit https://aoir.org/2026-aoir-lecture-series/ And a note about the ethics roundtable below, it will be held on August 21st, at 16:00 pm CEST. Best, Emerson (she/her) AoIR Communications and Membership Coordinator ac(a)aoir.org<mailto:ac@aoir.org> Dear AoIR Community, AoIR is happy to announce the third roundtable in our lecture series, Ethics in Internet Research! We’ll be bringing together four long-standing AoIR members Charles Ess, Anja Bechmann, Alice Marwick, and Michael Zimmer for a conversation on how ethics has developed within AoIR and the field it has shaped. Specifically, the session takes the question: What has ethics meant for AoIR as the internet itself has changed? Our panelists will answer it through a review of the association's first guidelines in 2002 to the 2019 publication of Internet Research: Ethical Guidelines 3.0, which extended earlier frameworks to the ethical stakes of big data, AI, and the research lifecycle as a whole, including the protection of researchers themselves. Over the hour, the panelists will discuss how each iteration of the guidelines answered shifting technologies, platforms, and research practices, and what it takes to conduct ethical research in this field. The format is a 45-minute lecture followed by 45 minutes of Q&A and discussion with the audience. As a quick reminder, participation in our legacy talk series is open to members only. If you are reading this as part of our broader community and are not yet a member, you can learn more about joining at members.aoir.org<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://members.aoir.org__;!!G92We9drHetJ8EofZw!…>. Membership also carries the rest of what AoIR offers throughout the year, from the annual conference to our newsletter ‘AoIRWaves’ and the wider set of talks and resources. We hope to see many of you there, and we welcome you to pass this along to colleagues and students who might want to attend. Best, Emerson (she/her) AoIR Communications and Membership Coordinator ac(a)aoir.org<mailto:ac@aoir.org> Looking for Michelle? After nine years, Michelle has officially stepped down from her position at AOIR. I'm Emerson, and I'll be stepping in to continue her work. As I'm sure anyone familiar with Michelle knows, I have big shoes to fill, and I appreciate your patience as I get up to speed!

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[AoIR HQ] Next up in the AoIR Lecture Series — Ethics in Internet Research (Roundtable #3)
by Association Coordinator 15 Jul '26

15 Jul '26

Dear AoIR Community, AoIR is happy to announce the third roundtable in our lecture series, Ethics in Internet Research! We’ll be bringing together four long-standing AoIR members Charles Ess, Anja Bechmann, Alice Marwick, and Michael Zimmer for a conversation on how ethics has developed within AoIR and the field it has shaped. Specifically, the session takes the question: What has ethics meant for AoIR as the internet itself has changed? Our panelists will answer it through a review of the association's first guidelines in 2002 to the 2019 publication of Internet Research: Ethical Guidelines 3.0, which extended earlier frameworks to the ethical stakes of big data, AI, and the research lifecycle as a whole, including the protection of researchers themselves. Over the hour, the panelists will discuss how each iteration of the guidelines answered shifting technologies, platforms, and research practices, and what it takes to conduct ethical research in this field. The format is a 45-minute lecture followed by 45 minutes of Q&A and discussion with the audience. As a quick reminder, participation in our legacy talk series is open to members only. If you are reading this as part of our broader community and are not yet a member, you can learn more about joining at members.aoir.org<http://members.aoir.org>. Membership also carries the rest of what AoIR offers throughout the year, from the annual conference to our newsletter ‘AoIRWaves’ and the wider set of talks and resources. We hope to see many of you there, and we welcome you to pass this along to colleagues and students who might want to attend. Best, Emerson (she/her) AoIR Communications and Membership Coordinator ac(a)aoir.org<mailto:ac@aoir.org> Looking for Michelle? After nine years, Michelle has officially stepped down from her position at AOIR. I'm Emerson, and I'll be stepping in to continue her work. As I'm sure anyone familiar with Michelle knows, I have big shoes to fill, and I appreciate your patience as I get up to speed!

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CfA Fully Funded Research Sabbaticals
by CAIS CFA 13 Jul '26

13 Jul '26

Time, focus and community for your research on the societal impact of digital transformation A fellowship at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) provides the freedom to dedicate yourself to your research and the opportunity to join a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Step away from daily work routines to gain new perspectives and build lasting connections. As a fellow, you can spend either six or three months in Bochum, Germany. During this time, we will cover your sabbatical leave from work through financial compensation (e.g. for a teaching substitute) or provide grants of up to 2.000 € per month. In addition, we will provide a fully furnished apartment free of charge. You can invite guests for collaboration and receive financial support for research expenses. Private offices and meeting rooms with modern facilities offer optimal working conditions. The funding program is open to excellent scholars and practitioners, to all career stages, disciplines and areas of investigation, as well as to pure research and to projects that are more applied in orientation. You can apply for our regular open call, or for our special call “Futures of Work”<https://cais-research.de/wp-content/uploads/Special-Call_Futures-of-Work_20…>. The next deadline for applications is 31 August 2026. The earliest possible starting date for new fellowships is October 2027. Please use the application form on our website. Find out more: https://cais-research.de/en/cais-college/fellowships/ Further questions? Please contact esther.laufer(a)cais-research.de<mailto:esther.laufer@cais-research.de>

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