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Conference Programm and Registration: Shifting AI Controversies, Berlin, 29-30 JAN, 2024
by Christian Katzenbach 21 Dec '23

21 Dec '23

Dear colleagues, we are happy and proud to announce that the conference programme for our international conference „Shifting AI Controversies“ is now live, and registration is open and free: https://www.hiig.de/en/events/conference-shifting-ai-controversies/ The conference happens on-site in Berlin, 29-30 January, 2024, at the wonderful vicinities of Museum für Kommunikation, and of the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). The conference includes keynote and closing panels, a public evening event on "Not my Existential Risk! The politics of controversy in an age of AI“, and ten academic panels with fifty international speakers. Confirmed speakers include Louise Amoore, Sally Wyatt, Christian Pentzold, Alison Powell, Matthias Spielkamp, Mark Scott, Marek Tuszynski, Jeanette Hofmann, Minna Ruckenstein, Caja Thimm, Daniel Mügge, and many more. The conference is co-hosted by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) and the ZeMKI, University of Bremen, in cooperation with the research group “Politics of Digitalization” at the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB). It is the concluding of the international research project „Shaping 21st Century AI – Controversies and Closure in Media, Policy, and Research“ with partners at SciencesPo (FRA), University of Warwick (UK), and Concordia University (UK). Please see below and online for more information and registration. With best regards, Christian Katzenbach #### Conference Shifting AI Controversies – Prompts, Provocations & Problematisations for Society-Centered AI 29 & 30 January 2024 | Berlin Social Science Center (WZB), Germany https://www.hiig.de/en/events/conference-shifting-ai-controversies/ Controversies about AI abound, especially since ChatGPT took over the Internet by storm, becoming the most popular applications in the Web’s history within only a few months. The current excitement about the perils and prospects of general purpose AI applications like ChatGPT is only the most recent wave of public interest in the long history of “artificial intelligence” (AI). With its metaphysical imaginaries of human-machine symbiosis, anthropomorphic robots and machine thinking, arguably oversized scientific claims and technological developments in this field have always raised concerns. What the current debate makes much more visible than previous attention cycles, though, is that contemporary AI companies and scientists dominate not only the discourse promoting AI’s prospects but also that on AI’s perils. From engineers at OpenAI to research pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, technologists and industry-based scientists increasingly articulate warnings that AI might cause serious and fundamental damage to societies. With this move, the already dominant players are now also occupying the space of public critique, yielding the risk that activism, social science, critical journalism and the arts are pushed even further to the margins of public and expert debates. Are we currently having the public controversies on AI that we should have, or is AI panic derailing us from actual and relevant concerns? How do we get to the controversies that we need and to the exploration and articulation of society-centered AI? The conference will hold keynotes, panels and interventions from scholars, civil society and practitioners on the topic of AI controversies. Conference Programme (pdf): https://www.hiig.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Shifting-AI-Controversies-Co…

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WEBCAST DEC 20 – Space Wars: What to Expect from Satellite Broadband
by Joly MacFie 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

Not an ISOC webcast. But notable! [image: isoc live] <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=0d1a3b2c935d584050d6fe8…> On *Wednesday December 20 2023* at *12:00 EST* (17:00 UTC) *Broadband Breakfast <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=896066f84464a81e83c362b…>* presents an episode in its weekly *Broadband Breakfast Live Online <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=ce448e70ab090c599bfd1e8…>* series, '*Space Wars: What to Expect from Satellite Broadband <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=f7da2061a6d3fabbb159be9…>*'. As satellite internet providers like SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper continue expanding, the race for space-based broadband is heating up. With the FCC approving SpaceX’s Gen2 satellite deployment and Amazon testing prototype launches, these companies are poised to blanket the skies with thousands more satellites. What are the implications of this new phase, particularly the potential for interference issues, orbital debris concerns and 5G backhaul capabilities? What about the regulatory and policy questions surrounding mega-constellations and space commercialization? Will satellite broadband address the current digital divide, potentially on a global scale? *PANEL* *David Goldman*, Vice President of Satellite Policy, SpaceX *Kalpak Gude*, Head of Domestic Regulatory Affairs, Project Kuiper *Kelly Martin*, Account Director, Eutelsat OneWeb *MOD*: *Drew Clark*, Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast *YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/axQq6ZHNW7c <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=cbaa4e4afcbee8290f7f007…>* *TWITTER #LEO @BroadbandCensus #Satellite <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=b76f662749bb3071979e4e7…> #BroadbandBreakfastLive @BroadbandCensus @SpaceX @ProjectKuiper @EutelsatOneWeb @drewclark* *SIMULCASTS* *https://www.facebook.com/broadbandbreakfast/videos/664163259124374/ <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=8a6c0212b48228e016ffcc9…>* *https://twitter.com/BroadbandCensus/status/1737518269324828791 <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=ab99d6cf9dc025790cf31ad…>* *Permalink https://isoc.live/17178 <https://isoc.live/17178>* - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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CFA: Open Panel “Degrowing Data" EASST/4S Conference, Amsterdam
by Miedema, M. 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

Dear Colleagues, We are inviting submissions to our open panel “Degrowing Data: Valuing and Practicing Intentional Data Loss” at the 4S/EASST Conference, which will take place in Amsterdam, 16-19 July 2024. We are interested in both ‘traditional’ paper abstracts and diverse creative contributions, especially for the second half of the panel which focuses on degrowth as both an academic discourse and a social movement. Submission Deadline: February 12, 2024. Short Abstract: This panel explores intentional data loss. Contributions engage with data loss practices, narratives, and values and how they can expose power structures but also provide space for resistance. A concluding interactive dialogue session links intentional data loss to degrowth for liveable futures. Long Abstract: This combined format open panel seeks to decentre our need to accumulate data and the fear of its loss. For good reasons, much effort has been put into protecting, saving or securing diverse data, for example at cultural heritage sites, for personal digital archives or as part of seed banks. But what about the inverse? What about data practices, narratives and values focusing on, or even desiring data loss through deletion, deconstruction, decluttering, discarding or disconnecting (cf Hobbis and Hobbis 2021; Thylstrup 2022)? The first session welcomes traditional papers (research papers, essays, reviews) but also more creative, playful, submissions (scripts, dialogues, audio/visual work). Contributions may ask questions like: When, why, and how is data loss practised and valued? Who benefits when data loss is (forcefully) prevented and why? Can there be a right to delete besides a legalized ‘right to be forgotten’ (cf Gupta and Naithani 2023)? How and when can intentional data loss be an expression of power and/or resistance against it (cf Liboiron and Lepawsky 2022)? The second session consists of an interactive dialogue connecting the papers to degrowth debates, that are yet to find a clear position in STS scholarship. Reflecting the twofold goal of the degrowth debate, this session is concerned with an advancement of social theory and a social movement. Leaning on insights from degrowth debates, we first think through the capitalist dynamics (accumulation, extraction, abundance) surrounding fears of data loss. Secondly, we seek to uncover possibilities for connecting intentional data loss practices with degrowth initiatives. Could intentional data loss practices and values contribute to more liveable futures? We are especially interested in case studies/contributions from diverse global contexts, epistemologies and ontologies and intend to combine our insights from the panel into a special issue/book, joint dialogic article, and/or more creative output. Convenors Marije Miedema (University of Groningen), m.miedema(a)rug.nl Stephanie Hobbis (Wageningen University), stephanie.hobbis(a)wur.nl Discussant Nanna Bonde Thylstrup (University of Copenhagen) You can submit abstracts of up to 250 words here: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/p/14164 More details about the conference: https://www.easst4s2024.net/ If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Best wishes, Marije & Stephanie -- Marije Miedema PhD Candidate *University of Groningen* Faculty of Arts | Department of Media and Journalism Studies Campus Fryslân | Department of Knowledge Infrastructures Website <http://www.marijemiedema.com>| LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/in/marijemiedema/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/miedemamarije> I am sending this email at a time that suits my workflow, I do not expect a response outside yours.

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CFP: Special Issue on Data Economy and Data Marketplaces
by Xiaohui Yu 20 Dec '23

20 Dec '23

Call for Papers: Special Issue on Data Economy and Data Marketplaces IEEE Internet Computing Magazine ------------------- * Important Dates: - Submission Due: 15 January 2024 - Publication issue: July/August 2024 ------------------- * Guest Editors: - Xiaohui Yu, York University, Canada - Jinfei Liu, Zhejiang University, China ------------------- The digital revolution and the proliferation of Internet-based systems have catalyzed an era where data transcends its traditional role as mere information and emerges as a foundational pillar of contemporary economic structures. As we transition into a paradigm where data is synonymous with currency, the emergence and prominence of data-driven economies and data marketplaces have reshaped our understanding of value, trade, and commerce. This evolution marks a significant shift from traditional business models, introducing a multifaceted ecosystem that hinges on the availability, accessibility, and value of data. The data economy represents a system where data becomes a pivotal economic agent, driving innovation, fostering growth, and catalyzing commercial ventures. Within this economy, the data marketplaces stand out as the nexus where data providers and consumers come together, enabling a dynamic exchange of datasets that power everything from advanced machine learning algorithms to business intelligence insights. The intricacies of the data economy are vast and manifold. It encapsulates the very heart of Internet computing, merging foundational technologies with emergent applications. This sphere is neither confined by mere technical constructs nor solely driven by commercial pursuits; it's a symbiotic ecosystem where technology and application continually inform and refine each other. It's where the granular details of computational processes meet the broad vistas of global digital trade. This special issue of the IEEE Internet Computing Magazine aims to shed light on the rapidly evolving landscape of the data economy and data marketplaces. We solicit contributions that delve deep into the mechanics of these markets, explore their implications, and envision their future trajectory. We invite thought leaders, researchers, industry pioneers, and innovators to contribute, casting light on the nuances of this domain. By synthesizing insights from both the technical and application realms of Internet computing, this issue aims to present a holistic view of the current landscape, challenges, and the road ahead for the data economy and its bustling marketplaces. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: - Architectures and infrastructures for data marketplaces - Network architectures supporting data marketplaces - Advanced computing techniques for data marketplace optimization - Data valuation and pricing mechanisms - Security, privacy, and trust mechanisms in data transactions - Distributed systems and blockchain technologies in data marketplaces - Data storage, retrieval, and transfer protocols in data-driven platforms - Scalability and performance issues in data-driven ecosystems - Data compression, transmission, and real-time processing for data marketplaces - Edge and fog computing in the context of data economies - Data quality, curation, and provenance in marketplaces - Real-world applications and case studies highlighting technical challenges and solutions ------------------- * Submission Guidelines All submissions must be original manuscripts of fewer than 5,000 words, focused on data economy and data marketplaces enabled by Internet technologies. All manuscripts are subject to peer review on both technical merit and relevance to IC’s international readership—primarily practicing engineers and academics who are looking for material that introduces new technology and broadens familiarity with current topics. We do not accept white papers, and papers which are primarily theoretical or mathematical must clearly relate the mathematical content to a real-life or engineering application. To submit a manuscript, please log on to ScholarOne (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com:443/ic-cs) to create or access an account, which you can use to log on to IC’s Author Center and upload your submission.

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WEBCAST DEC 19 – A11yVR – The Challenges of Implementing Accessibility in a Digital Twin for Learning
by Joly MacFie 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

Just starting. Very interesting education case study from France, of accessibility in a virtual laboratory. [image: isoc live] <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=b7c4305d4008f9d7f83c726…> On *Tuesday December 19, 2023* at *16:00 EST / 21:00 UTC / 06:00 JST (Dec 20)* the *Accessibility VR Meetup <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=3bd827986da893a653a8aba…>* hosts '*The Challenges of Implementing Accessibility in a Digital Twin for Learning <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=0a5186bb4b5bcdb0f78c89a…>* '. *Christian Cousquer <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=f1601709619e81416c1b488…>* of the *National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=73b960f013d174bf14706f0…>* in Paris will talk about '*Mimbus Chemistry <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e860b30b030f382436019c1…>*', that institution's design of a virtual reality digital twin of a chemistry laboratory. The session will be webcast live via a partnership with the *Internet Society New York Chapter Accessibility SIG <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=85a368908c9f0f282dc80b0…>* (A11ySIG). *LIVESTREAM:* https://livestream.com/internetsociety/a11yvr32 <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=895b5297c231a284b4cd335…> (open captions) *PARTICIPATE VIA YOUTUBE: **https://youtu.be/PGwolawoLkY* <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=d2cd5842798300c7047eb79…> (open captions) *REAL TIME TEXT: https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=a11yvr <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=d82ee75fd578543ec5498a5…>* *TWITTER: #virtualtwin @a11yvr <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=854942fdc91a4e024e39a27…> #a11y #AR #XR #VR @IAAPOrg @mimbus @LeCnam @prairycat* *MASTODON #A11yVR <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=8c972825cd49754d92e14db…>* *SIMULCASTS* (open captions) *https://www.twitter.com/ISOC_Live/ <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=434829a11a3b3b3c1d88686…>* *https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=ef2b4e3989c6ae517cee3f9…>* *https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/ <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=e3dc0c67e519d1660cefa8a…>* *ARCHIVE https://archive.org/details/a11yvr32 <http://isoc.live/?action=user_content_redirect&uuid=16b9635b0aa5f8229093694…>* - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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Applications invited for 2 short fellowships on WhatsApp research, LMU Munich
by sahana udupa 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

*Fellowships in the CAS Research Group * *“Messaging Apps, Encryption and the Enticement of Extreme Speech”* *Center for Advanced Studies, LMU Munich* The Center of Advanced Studies (CAS) at LMU Munich, Germany, is advertising two fellowships for Internet media researchers (for a stay up to 3 months) to join the CAS Research Group *"Below the Radar? Messaging Apps, Encryption and the Enticement of Extreme Speech"*. The Center for Advanced Studies at LMU Munich is a forum for intensive international academic exchange. Its purpose is to promote cooperation with national and international Visiting Fellows who work closely on collaborative projects with LMU professors. In order to intensify cooperation between researchers at LMU Munich and leading experts from other universities, the Center has set up a major program, the CAS Research Groups. The CAS Research Group *“**Messaging Apps, Encryption and the Enticement of Extreme Speech*” is initiated by Professor Dr. Sahana Udupa (Media Anthropology, LMU) and will commence its work in October 2024: https://www.cas.lmu.de/en/programs/cas-research-groups/below-the-radar-mess… The focus of the CAS Research Group is to develop global critical inquiry into entanglements between encrypted messaging apps and forms of extreme speech such as hateful language and disinformation. The group will approach the problem with an empirical focus on WhatsApp – an end-to-end encrypted, cross- platform messaging service owned by Meta, which has emerged as a central communication tool for a vast number of people, with more than 2 billion users and 100 billion daily messages around the world. The group will also extend its focus to Telegram, Signal and similar encrypted messaging services. Based on insights from different regions and diverse contexts of use, the research group will analyze the role of encrypted messaging services in extreme speech cultures globally, and highlight the regulatory and methodological challenges they have raised for academic research and policymaking. The CAS Research Group will bring together internationally renowned researchers and policy experts who are invited to LMU Munich to contribute to the Group’s research. Applications are invited from candidates with · a PhD in a relevant field such as anthropology or communication studies OR Internet policy expertise · ongoing policy-focused or field-based empirical research on encrypted messaging apps and extreme speech in Africa or South Asia · publications relevant to the topic The successful candidates will team up with the group for a co-authored policy and public-focused report on methodological, policy and practical issues in addressing extreme speech on instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp. This report is jointly commissioned by United Nations Peacekeeping. The Center for Advanced Studies will provide financial and organizational support for visits from a stay of up to three months in early 2025, coinciding with the first workshop planned in January 2025. The costs for travel and accommodation as well as an expense allowance will be covered. The successful candidates will receive a workspace in an open and stimulating research environment in an interdisciplinary setting at the Center, and a team of academic researchers, policy experts and factcheckers. *Applications* should consist of a brief outline (1-2 pages) of the expertise and intended contribution to the CAS Research Group. Applications should also contain a résumé including a list of the most recent publications as well as the names of two referees. In order to strengthen the role of women in research, female scholars are strongly encouraged to apply. Please submit all the application documents electronically (in one PDF file) by *29 February 2024 *to Email: researchgroups(a)cas.lmu.de Center for Advanced Studies Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 80539 München For any questions on the CAS Research Groups please contact Dr. Lena Bouman at CAS: Email: Lena.Bouman(a)cas.lmu.de

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CFP: Generative AI Governance - Special Issue in Information, Communication & Society
by Joanne Kuai 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

Dear colleagues, We would like to draw your attention to the following call for abstracts for a special issue on "Generative AI Governance" in the journal Information, Communication & Society. We look forward to receiving your proposal by 15 February 2024. Please feel free to forward the CFP to potential interested colleagues. Thank you! Best Regards, Joanne and Fabian ______________ Call for Papers for Special Issue in Information, Communication & Society Generative AI Governance: Innovations, Institutions, Imaginaries Special Issue Editors: Fabian Ferrari, Utrecht University, f.l.ferrari(a)uu.nl Joanne Kuai, Karlstad University, joanne.kuai(a)kau.se >From democratic to authoritarian contexts, governments worldwide face the challenge of setting up oversight mechanisms for generative AI systems. The European Union recently reached an agreement for the proposed EU AI Act. A few months earlier, China had enacted one of the first laws in the world to regulate generative AI systems. Navigating this global policy landscape is challenging, not only due to differences between regulatory regimes but also because of the fast pace at which new variations of generative AI systems are developed. However, the governance of generative AI systems is not only a task for governments and regulators – it also occurs at the workplace and at the institutional level. For example, in the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the use of generative AI systems featured prominently. Such developments signify a need for a new understanding of generative AI governance, expanding its scope beyond a narrow focus on regulatory frameworks. As such, this special issue asks: How does the landscape of generative AI governance shape the discursive and material dimensions of generative AI systems, and what are the underlying factors influencing this development? To address this question, the special issue invites contributions that cover a wide cultural and geographical range of case studies or comparative studies. Given that the governance of generative AI systems is a globally interconnected phenomenon, engagements with regional, national, and supranational forms of generative AI governance are encouraged. Potential empirical entry points include but are not limited to: - Assessing the efficacy of designated AI oversight measures (e.g., risk assessments, audit procedures, red-teaming) in light of swiftly evolving material properties of generative AI systems. - Examining strategies of generative AI providers to shape and influence governance regimes – for example, through research, lobbying, tool development, and terms of use/usage policies. - Understanding how institutional dynamics in particular sectors and cultural industries (e.g., journalism, education, entertainment) shape the design, use and effects of generative AI systems. - Comparing how governance regimes observe, inspect and modify generative AI systems (e.g., China’s central algorithm registry vs. the EU’s proposed database for high-risk AI systems). - Investigating how sociotechnical imaginaries about generative AI (e.g., perceived “existential risks”) inform the design, substance and enforcement of particular regulatory frameworks. - Connecting considerations about the global political economy of AI to geopolitical issues about digital sovereignty, as illustrated by US export controls for specific AI chips. Submission Instructions and Timeline: Please submit an abstract of 500-800 words (including references) to f.l.ferrari(a)uu.nl and joanne.kuai(a)kau.se no later than 15 February 2024. The abstract should specify: 1) the problem or question being addressed, 2) the paper’s methodological or analytical approach, and 3) the anticipated results or conclusions of the research. Decisions about the selection of abstracts will be communicated to authors by 15 March 2024. The deadline for submitting invited papers is 31 August 2024. The special issue will follow the submission and review guidelines of Information, Communication & Society. Each invited paper will be peer-reviewed. An invitation to submit a full paper does not automatically ensure its acceptance in the special issue or in the journal. No payment from the authors will be required. For questions, please reach out to the guest editors via email. Check out the full call for papers here: http://bit.ly/generative-ai-governance När du skickar e-post till Karlstads universitet behandlar vi dina personuppgifter<https://www.kau.se/gdpr>. When you send an e-mail to Karlstad University, we will process your personal data<https://www.kau.se/en/gdpr>.

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CfP 4S/EASST Amsterdam, 16-19 July 2024 - Panel 355. Multispecies Urbanism: Future of Inclusive Smart City Design
by Aal, Konstantin, Dr. 19 Dec '23

19 Dec '23

Dear colleagues, We want to share the CfP for a Traditional Open Panel at the 4S/EASST conference 2024 Amsterdam: Making and Doing Transformations. We are inviting submissions to the open panel 355. Multispecies Urbanism: Future of Inclusive Smart City Design, which will take place in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 16-19 July 2024. Deadline for submission is February 12, 2024. Accepted panelists will present their ideas, experiences and perspectives against the following background: Panel Description Short Abstract: Exploring the intersection of digital innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability, this panel discusses designing inclusive smart cities. Using Science and Technology Studies insights, we'll study sociotechnical urban dynamics, emphasizing vulnerable groups, AI, robotics, and nature integration. Long Abstract: In the ever-evolving landscape of urban ecosystems, the importance of digital infrastructure has emerged as a critical component. Informed by insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS), we will focus on the concept of the smart city that harnesses digital innovation to improve efficiency and foster innovation. In the light of climate change and urbanization, pressure is put on the quality of life and wellbeing of citizens and forms a danger for the flora in cities, which amplifies the consequences of climate change. Hence, the inclusion of vulnerable human- and non-human actors becomes crucial in urban area transformation processes. This panel aims to explore the numerous challenges and prospects associated with creating future cities that embody true inclusivity and do not reproduce social or economic biases. By broadening the scope of consideration, the panel places particular emphasis on addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, considering digital and non-digital innovation. In this endeavour, the panel invites a diverse range of scholars to engage in critical discussions related to new methodologies and visions of what inclusive urban spaces might look like in the future and how they could be co-created with vulnerable target groups. Rooted in an STS perspective, the discussions will highlight the role of emerging technologies, such as AI and robotics, in shaping these environments. In addition, the dialogue will explore how displaced elements of nature, including animals and plants, can be reintegrated into urban environments. The aim of the panel is to inspire actionable strategies by examining the intersection of technology, inclusivity and environmental stewardship and charting a course for urban development that is smart, compassionate and harmonious with the natural world. This multi-faceted approach, informed by STS, seeks to redefine urban spaces, transforming them into cohesive ecosystems where technology, humanity and nature coexist in balanced and sustainable synergy. The following questions may be of interest and serve as examples: * How to design inclusive and ethical future environments, esp. in smart city contexts, against the backdrop of a multispecies or more-than-human world? * How can technology, esp. robotics and AI support such environmental development without negative side effects for humans and non-humans (animals, nature)? * What frameworks and methodologies to use to reach these goals? * How can we transfer current interdisciplinary practices of participation to other fields of practice? Session Chairs: Tanja Aal (tanja.ertl(a)uni-siegen.de<mailto:tanja.ertl@uni-siegen.de>) and Laura Scheepmaker (l.s.scheepmaker(a)saxion.nl<mailto:l.s.scheepmaker@saxion.nl>) Keywords: smart city design, multispecies urbanism, more-than-human, vulnerable groups, AI, robotics Link to the Panel: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/p/14439 Submissions: If you would like to participate in this session, please submit your individual abstract of approx. 250 words and follow the instructions described here: https://www.easst4s2024.net/callforabstracts/ Link to the submission form: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/paper-form/14439 _________ The 2024 quadrennial joint meeting of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) and the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) invites panels, presentations, making & doing contributions, and other events that explore the role of STS in making and doing contributions to transformations in an era of grand societal challenges. More information can be found here: https://www.easst4s2024.net/ Our best wishes, Konstantin, Tanja and Laura ______________________

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Call for Visiting Research Fellows 2024/25– Department for Media and Communication Studies Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden
by AKA KA 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

Call for Visiting Research Fellows 2024/25– Department for Media and Communication Studies Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden Deadline 31 January 2024 The Department for Media and Communication Studies at Södertörn University offers a thriving and multidisciplinary research environment with a particular focus on contemporary datafied and media-saturated societies from a critical-cultural and often historical perspective. The research at the department shares a particular focus on the Baltic and East European region. The department is based at the School of Culture and Education and is a member of the Postgraduate School for Critical Cultural Theory. Current research projects conducted by faculty members at the department include among others: · Anticipating and mediating future classrooms (PI: Michael Forsman) · A Sea of Data: Mediated temporalities of the Baltic Sea (PI: Lars Lundgren) · Media trust and social imaginaries (PI: Fredrik Stiernstedt) · Photographic Realism in the Age of Digital Media (PI: Patrik Åker) · Post-migrant voices in the Baltic Sea region (Sweden, Germany, Estonia) (PI: Jessica Gustafsson · Social Media Surveillance and Experiences of Authoritarianism (PI: Göran Bolin) · The Digital Welfare State (PI: Anne Kaun) · Vernacular fiction and digital publication platforms: An ethnography of contemporary Indian book worlds (PI: Per Ståhlberg) · What is news? (PI: Sofia Johansson) We are happy to offer several visiting research fellow positions for the academic year 2024/25. The fellows – holding a PhD – will each receive a one-time scholarship of 35.000 SEK contributing to travel and accommodation. The fellows can choose the length and timing of their stay during the academic year 2024/25 but should stay at least one month. Fellows are expected to present their current work during one higher seminar at the department. Södertörn University has a number of guest research apartments close to campus and we are happy to put fellows in touch with the housing unit at the university. However, we are not able to assist further in finding housing in Stockholm. In order to apply please submit a short CV (max 2 pages) and a description of project that they will be working with during their stay (max 1 page) through this application form https://forms.office.com/e/YZG0k8DYxx <https://forms.office.com/e/YZG0k8DYxx> Timeline: Deadline for applications 31 January 2024 Notification of applicants 1 March 2024 Start of the visiting fellowship period September 2024 – June 2025

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CFP Critiquing Big Tech conference (June 6-7 Tilburg)
by Niels Niessen 18 Dec '23

18 Dec '23

CFP Critiquing Big Tech: A Humanities Perspective (Conference) 6 and 7 June 2024, Tilburg, Netherlands Keynote speaker: Tiziana Terranova (author of After the Internet) https://www.nica-institute.com/call-for-papers-critiquing-big-tech-a-humani… Organizers: Niels Niessen (Tilburg University), Nuno Atalaia (Radboud University, Nijmegen), Rianne Riemens (Radboud University) This conference brings together critiques of how Big Tech invades all domains of public and private life, transforming those domains in the process. The conference explores how the humanities can contribute to a better understanding of this development. At the same time, we are interested in how humanities research changes in relation to this development. While critiquing Big Tech, it is important to acknowledge that for many, platforms like Instagram, Tumblr, and X (Twitter) are places of consciousness building and activism. It is also safe to say that without these platforms, movements like MeToo, Trans Liberation, and Black Lives Matter would not have happened the way they did. Yet while these platforms help liberate personal and collective life in some respects, ultimately they are not designed for emancipation, but to maximize user engagement. The conference examines the ways in which Big Tech interpellates people as users, through its technologies and its discourses. We will also discuss potential forms of resistance against this interpellation. In proposing a humanities perspective on Big Tech, we tackle what we perceive as a crisis of the human form in the age of large-scale platforms, personalized AI, and the algorithmic condition. Theorists including Patricia Ticineto Clough (The User Unconscious), Nick Couldry & Ulises Mejias (Costs of Connection), and McKenzie Wark (Capitalism Is Dead) have argued that Big Tech threatens the very integrity and sovereignty of individual and collective human existence. At the same time, the existence of both humans and non-humans is threatened by climate change and the continuous appropriation of the environment for the benefits of Big Tech and economic growth (as argues for example Mél Hogan in “Big Data Ecologies”). What does it mean to practice the Humanities in algorithmic societies facing political and ecological crises? How to understand the human subject and its relation to technology and the environment in light of these conditions? How to critique Big Tech’s understanding of the human subject, its extractive economic model and continuous infrastructural and spatial expansion, and its visions of the future? How to work towards alternatives? The conference somewhat changes up the traditional conference format, creating more space for conversation and workshops. We ask for short 10-minute individual presentations. During the workshops hosted by the conference organizers, participants are invited to critically engage with the methodological, epistemic, and ecological implications of studying Big Tech. If you are interested in participating in the conference, please fill out the form on: https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/H-8AnSFOUBAa5xr17f4MLwF-QTa5AQXpQB-O… We ask you to briefly describe (1) the topic of your presentation and ideally also your object of focus (if your paper is mostly theoretical, still provide an example of an object you connect to); (2) your intervention (the argument you plan to develop, or how you envision your contribution); (3) a brief reflection on methodology and how your contribution speaks to the changing humanities. In addition, please indicate your preference for the workshop you would like to attend on day 2 of the conference (How to design a user?; How to study big data ecologies?; How to de-Google Learning?). Finally, we ask participants to ideally participate in the full conference. On the evening before the conference (June 5) we will have an informal dinner (paid for by the organization) in the center of Tilburg. The conference itself will take place in De Nieuwe Vorst theater, also in the Tilburg city center. So to apply, please fill out the form on https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/H-8AnSFOUBAa5xr17f4MLwF-QTa5AQXpQB-O… For questions, please email bigtechconference(a)protonmail.com Deadline for submission: 9 February, 2024. We will send out conference invitations by the end of February.

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