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Wikimedia events at SXSW!
by Jan Gerlach March 7, 2025

March 7, 2025

Hello everyone Wikimedia is hosting several events in Austin, TX for SXSW this weekend. If you're traveling there, please don't miss some great conversations and *FOOD*: *=>SATURDAY SXSW Panel: How can fictional futures strengthen truth <https://schedule.sxsw.com/2025/events/PP151603>? *Join the Wikimedia Foundation's Rebecca MacKinnon and CJR's Sewell Chan who will lead a great conversation around that question with authors Laila Lalami (The Dream Hotel) and Stephen Harrison (The Editors) at 11:30am CT, Hilton Austin Downtown *=>SUNDAY ALL-DAY OPEN HOUSE at 811 Congress Ave (click here to snag your spot) <https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/openhouse/> *Featuring: - *Breakfast + late morning conversation *with *SJ Klein and Andrew Lih*: "AI Inbound: What roles do machines play in Wikipedia’s human-centric world?" - *Lunch + afternoon conversation* "AI Outbound: What roles does Wikipedia play in technology development?" - COCKTAILS & DINNER (RSVP here <https://pretix.eu/wikimedia/openhouse/>) Feel free to forward this to other interested people as well! Thank you very much and we'd love to see NoC people there. Best, Jan

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Global Call for Submissions: UNDP AI Trust & Safety Programme
by Guio Espanol, Armando March 3, 2025

March 3, 2025

Dear All, We are excited to share a timely opportunity to join the UNDP’s first-ever AI Trust and Safety Re-Imagination Programme from innovators working at the intersection of AI and T&S. Here is the information provided by UNDP colleagues: "The UNDP Trust and Safety Re-Imagination Programme seeks to: * Gather practical experiences and data on how AI products and systems manifest new risks that create harm in local contexts; * Lay the foundations for equitable and safe AI development ecosystems that support local startups and the safe application of AI in developing countries; and * Explore innovative partnerships that ensure safety-by-design in the early stage of AI development and deployment. Selected participants will present to global stakeholders in regional and global convening sessions over the next 6 months. Submissions are encouraged from innovators working at the intersection of AI and T&S, which may range from prototypes, unpublished or recently published research, to a fully-fledged product or solution that has been deployed. Below are the key dates for participants: * Information sessions will be held on February 13 and 17, March 6, April 3, and May 1 (Sign up here<https://www.sparkblue.org/content/information-sessions-public-event-program…>) * Round 1: Systemic Trust and Safety regional challenges and the impact of AI, Deadline: 20 February 2025. * Round 2: Emerging AI risks and escalations, Deadline: 20 March 2025. * Round 3: Theme to be determined by submissions and previous rounds, Deadline: 24 April 2025 * Round 4: Locally tailored solutions, Deadline: 22 May 2025. We invite individuals and teams to learn more about the programme and submit their projects here: https://www.undp.org/digital/ai-trust-and-safety Please also take a look at the UNDP Chief Digital Office Trello site if you're interested: https://trello.com/b/hqZZdFhV/undp-chief-digital-office-2024 We encourage you to submit as early as possible and look forward to seeing the amazing work that will come from this opportunity.” Best regards, Armando Guio Executive Director [cid:35770016-6dc9-4db4-a24c-bfa2fff3041f]

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Call for Papers to the Luhmann Conference 2025 in Cambridge (9-12 September 2025)
by Dr. Steffen Roth Feb. 19, 2025

Feb. 19, 2025

Call for papers to the Luhmann Conference 2025 Topic: Programmes. Observed with social systems theory Venue: University of Cambridge, United Kingdom Submission deadline (abstracts): 15 May 2025 Conference dates: 09-12 September 2025 Pre-conference dinner: 08 September 2025 Supported by the European Sociological Association and the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik Theme “… the differentiation of coding and programming makes the reappearance of the third value possible” (Luhmann, 1989, p. 41) In observing programmes through the lens of social systems theory (Luhmann, 2018), we discover a centre pillar of decided orders and structural feature of organised complexity. Programmes guide decisions, establishing the conditions under which they are deemed good or bad, right or wrong, or lucrative or ruinous. Programmes constitute interfaces between organisations and the codes of the function systems (Sales et al., 2022; Roth, 2023), but may also refer to, or be understood as, forms of moral code (Laursen, 2022), including coded preferences for particular function systems. As preference resonates with precedence, programmes are also instrumental in creating rankings and other stratified orders. Moreover, programmes define what is on screen or “on line”, shaping what occupies the centre, and not only the periphery, of social attention. Programmes also operate a diverse set of guiding distinctions to decide who or what is included or excluded the multifaceted segments of modern world society. In this way, programmes are compatible with the source codes of all four basic forms of social differentiation (Roth, 2025): segmentary, centre-periphery, stratified, and functional. At the same time, the concept of programmes as architectures of code is compatible not only with the guiding distinctions of society as observed by social systems theory in the tradition of Niklas Luhmann (Roth et al., 2025), but also with the key technologies and self-descriptions of a digitally transforming society. While the notion of programmes predates the digital computer revolution, architectures and metaphors of programmes and code have become as ubiquitous today as have the computers processing them to mediate almost every aspect of organic, psychic, and social life. This pervasiveness now seems to extend even to the heartlands of analogue communication, which some argue are currently being taken over by technologies (Tække, 2022) that others view as hardly more than glorified search engines such as ChatGPT or Gemini. The possibility that this very text on programmes has been generated by a computer programme adds an intriguing layer of complexity or, at least, complication. Whether attributed to a software programme or a group of wetware computers, the existence of such opaque text in the age of AI underscores the pervasive interplay between programmes as forms of social systems and the social systems they shape … Read the full Call for Papers here: https://wp.me/pvO07-256 Consider also subscribing to the Systems Theories JISCMAIL mailing list for updates at: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/systems ***** Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Steffen Roth Full Professor of Management, Excelia Business School La Rochelle, France Full Professor of Social Sciences, Kazimieras Simonavicius University, Lithuania Adjunct Professor of Economic Sociology, University of Turku, Finland Visiting Academic, University of Cambridge, UK myURL: http://derroth.com <http://derroth.com/> ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8502-601X X: derrothdotcom <https://twitter.com/derrothdotcom> Recent articles GUIDING DISTINCTIONS OF SOCIAL THEORY. Results from two online brainstormings and one quantitative analysis of the ISA Books of the XX Century corpus @CS: https://wp.me/pvO07-24Z THE STATE AS CREATIVE DESTROYER: A systems perspective on entrepreneurship by organised monopolies on violence @IJEBR: https://wp.me/pvO07-24C RAINMAKING. Observed with social systems theory @SRBS: https://wp.me/pvO07-23o SPACESHIP EARTH. A total institution @EcolEc: https://wp.me/pvO07-1Zy TRUTH TABLES, TRUE DISTINCTIONS. Paradoxes of the source code of science @SPAA: https://wp.me/pvO07-1Pu HEALTH BEYOND MEDICINE. A planetary theory extension @SH&I: https://wp.me/pvO07-1ID

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webinar “AI Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries”
by Luca Belli Feb. 19, 2025

Feb. 19, 2025

Dear colleagues, In case you are interested, the Center for Technology & Society at FGV and the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) are organizing a webinar on “AI Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries” that will take place tomorrow, Thursday 20 February, from 10:00 to 12:00 BRT (GMT-3). The webinar is part of the series of events on Digital Policies in the BRICS that CTS-FGV and MFA are organizing to discuss the most pressing digital issues for the BRICS grouping ahead of the BRICS Summit that will take place in Rio de Janeiro on 6-7 July, under the Brazilian rotating presidency https://brics.br/en Here some useful links * the webinar webpage https://direitorio.fgv.br/en/event/webinar-ai-sovereignty-brics-countries * "The webinar will be broadcast live on FGV's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/live/iWbFgQ3ZFzE"<https://youtube.com/live/iWbFgQ3ZFzE%22> * LinkedIn post with flyer and speakers https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fgv-direito-rio_fgv-fgvriolaw-fgvdireitorio-… The goal of the webinar is to provide an understanding of i) what is AI Sovereignty, ii) to what extent BRICS countries are AI sovereign and how their enhanced cooperation could increase their digital sovereignty, iii) and what can other countries learn from BRICS experiences. Here some background readings that can be useful * What is AI Sovereignty and Why Brazil Can Lead the Global Debate About It https://www.medianama.com/2024/06/223-views-ai-sovereignty-brazil-global-de… * The Quest for AI Sovereignty Transparency and Accountability https://cyberbrics.info/pre-print-the-quest-for-ai-sovereignty-transparency… * BRICS countries and AI sovereignty: Introduction to Thematic Section https://doi.org/10.23962/ajic.i34.20864 * Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries: How the Global South and Emerging Power Alliances are Reshaping Digital Governance https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-count… Please feel free to share this message through your networks! All the best Luca [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_direito_rio.jpg] Luca Belli, PhD Professor | FGV Law Schoool Coordinator | Center for Technology & Society [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_tel.jpg]+55 21 3799 5763 t@1lucabelli<https://twitter.com/1lucabelli> [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_direito_rio_map.j… de Botafogo, 190 13º andar Botafogo - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - CEP: 22250-900 [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_ass_url.jpg]perso… www.lucabelli.net<https://lucabelli.net/> [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_ass_url.jpg]CTS-F… direitorio.fgv.br/cts<https://direitorio.fgv.br/cts> [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_ass_url.jpg]CPDP LatAm www.cpdp.lat<http://www.cpdp.lat/> [http://www.fgv.br/mailing/2018/direito_rio/assinatura/fgv_ass_url.jpg]cyber… www.cyberbrics.info<http://www.cyberbrics.info/> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This message, as well as any attached document, may contain personal data and information that is confidential and privileged and is intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying or distribution of this email or attached documents, or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this message or its attachments is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Please contact the sender if you believe you have received this email by mistake.

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CfP From Platform Governance to Generative AI:Concepts, Methods, and Data for Studying Tech Governance
by Christian Katzenbach Feb. 13, 2025

Feb. 13, 2025

Dear colleagues, We are hosting the 2025 AoIR Flashpoint Symposium this year at my lab PGMT in Bremen, Germany. Please take note of the short deadline for abstract submissions (February 15, that is this Saturday!) – and the great line-up of plenary speakers (Natali Helberger, Tarleton Gillespie, Sarah T. Roberts, Thomas Poell). **From Platform Governance to Generative AI:Concepts, Methods, and Data for Studying Tech Governance** 2025 AoIR Flashpoint Symposium, 3-4 June 2025, Bremen, Germany Lab Platform Governance, Media, and Technology (PGMT), University of Bremen **Submission Deadline for Abstracts: 15 February 2025** Confirmed Plenary Speakers: Natali Helberger, Sarah T. Roberts, Thomas Poell Call for Papers (short): The study of platform governance and generative AI has become increasingly critical as these technologies significantly (re)shape public discourse, societal norms, and policy-making processes. By determining how information is created, shared, and consumed, these technological systems raise complex questions of accountability, fairness, transparency, contestability, and ethics. After 20 years of social media these challenges remain topical, and both current political developments as well as the advent of generative AI will exacerbate rather than relieve those challenges. The AoIR Flashpoint Symposium 2025 in Bremen aims to contribute to these urgent discussions on governance and normative questions. Submissions for research papers or policy/position papers, or for pre-curated panels, will take the form of 400-600 word abstracts. *The submission deadline is 15 February 2025.* The complete Call for Papers, more information on the symposium and the link for submissions are available here: https://platform-governance.org/aoir-flashpoint-symposium-2025/ Inquiries can be sent to aoir2025(a)uni-bremen.de <mailto:aoir2025@uni-bremen.de>. The Symposium organisers are Prof. Dr. Christian Katzenbach, Dr. Daria Dergacheva, and Dr. Dennis Redeker. It would be great to see some NOC colleagues with us in Bremen! Best, Christian Katzenbach — Prof. Dr. Christian Katzenbach Professor of Media and Communication Centre for Media, Communication & Information Research (ZeMKI), University of Bremen www.uni-bremen.de/zemki Lab Platform Governance, Media and Technology (PGMT) platform-governance.org Associated Researcher Alexander von Humboldt Institut for Internet and Society (HIIG) www.hiig.de -- Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft gGmbH Französische Straße 9 · 10117 Berlin T +49 30 200 760 82 · F +49 30 206 089 60 · www.hiig.de <http://www.hiig.de/> · Bluesky <https://bsky.app/profile/hiigberlin.bsky.social> · Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/hiigberlin/> · LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/school/hiigberlin/> Gesellschaftssitz Berlin | Amtsgericht Berlin Charlottenburg | HRB 140911B | USt-ID DE 291 151 171 Forschungsdirektorium: Prof. Dr. Jeanette Hofmann (Geschäftsführung) · Prof. Dr. Björn Scheuermann · Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Schildhauer · Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz | Geschäftsführung: Dr. Karina Preiß

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AI Action Summit Event:
by Stefaan G Verhulst Feb. 5, 2025

Feb. 5, 2025

Join us for an official AI Action Summit event in Paris : "Aligning Urban AI and Global AI Governance" which will bring together global leaders, policymakers, technologists, and visionaries to explore the intersection between artificial intelligence in urban environments and the frameworks of global AI governance. 📅 Date: February 11, 2025, 3:00- 6:00pm CET 📍 Location: Paris, France (will be shared upon registration) 🔗 Program and Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aligning-urban-ai-and-global-ai-governance-tic… Co-organized by Urban AI and The GovLab, in collaboration with MEDEF, OpenDataFrance, DemocracyNext and UN-Habitat Urban Lab What to Expect: 🌍 Best practices for governing and deploying AI in cities (AI Localism) 🔑 Ethical considerations and trust-building in urban AI 📜 Regulatory strategies to align local solutions with global governance of AI

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AI Action Summit: NoC Event in Paris (February 9)
by Guio Espanol, Armando Feb. 4, 2025

Feb. 4, 2025

Dear All, In collaboration with our colleagues at ITS Rio and Rice University, the NoC Secretariat is pleased to invite you to the event The Evolving Role of AI Safety Institutes in Uncertain Times: A New Wave Ahead? This hybrid event will be a side event to the AI Action Summit, in Paris. Find more information about the event here<https://docs.google.com/document/d/14kcTjW7T5b9jjN7clYFaFM1pXuQ_D7BSTMjy1jm…>. The final agenda will be shared with participants in the coming days. Please find the details for the event below: * Date: Sunday, February 9th * Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM CET. * In-person location: Rice University Global Paris Center: * 5 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris, France Attendance in Person: Registration is required to participate. To attend in person, please register using this form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScncz5_PzrQ7iV3loy2EF3EE5JTQ_XWDEV…>. Please note that spots are limited, and access to the venue will not be permitted without prior registration. Instructions on how to access the venue will be sent to registered participants on the day of the event. Attendance in Person: Remote connection to the event will also be available. Please register here to join the event on Zoom.<https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/W9XE_e-fSWuUpRkoNq5CnQ> We’re looking forward to an insightful conversation ahead of the AI Action Summit! Best regards, Armando — On behalf of the event organizers [cid:ecb5252d-2310-4eeb-ad03-1ca4591ab42c]

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“Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS” book & webinar
by Luca Belli Jan. 29, 2025

Jan. 29, 2025

Dear colleagues, good morning! In case you are realising the DeepSeek success story is just an example of how China has achieved Digital Sovereignty through a very complex set of policies and initiatives, you might be interested in our new book on “Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS countries”, where we analyse how the BRICS members have attempted to build their technological autonomy (sometimes successfully, sometimes failing, sometimes not even realising it) and how they are influencing global digital governance, reshaping digital cooperation in the Global Majority. The volume was produced by the CyberBRICS Project of the Center for Technology and Society at FGV Law School and is available in *open access* on the Cambridge University Press website https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-count… Also, in case you are interested, this Friday 31 Jan at 12:00 BRT (GMT-3), my co-editor Prof Min Jiang and I will debate some of the arguments of the book together with Dr Susan Aaronson at the Webinar on “Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries” organised by the Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub, at George Washington University https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-48-digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-co… FYI, in the book we adopted an agnostic approach to study how the BRICS countries are constructing digital sovereignty narratives, policies and actions. We decided to scrutinise the BRICS approaches not only because they offer telling illustrations of how Global South leaders are constructing their digital sovereignty, but also because their approaches are increasingly influencing and shaping the thinking of their regional and international partners, thus having direct or indirect impact. Our findings are particularly relevant for: 1. #GlobalSouth countries, where BRICS strategies are increasingly viewed as models for achieving technological autonomy, fostering innovation, and increasing control (in a good or bad way) on digital/#AI technologies 2. European countries where policymakers are now freaking out realising they are totally dependent on US technology and have clearly failed to prepare for weaponisation of tech on which they rely: Sadly, the lesson is that, when you are digitally colonised you simply lose your freedom to choose, and even if you have very elaborated laws, they are useless if the software and hardware infrastructure you rely upon is controlled by others and can be weaponised against you. 3. Anyone interested in understanding what are the different nuances of digital sovereignty (we identify seven different conceptions including personal, commons-driven, corporate, state and supranational digital sovereignty) and, most importantly, that digital sovereignty does not necessarily mean being isolated in digital autarchy: On the contrary, it frequently means reclaiming agency, self-determination over digital technologies and capacity to understand, develop and regulate effectively such technologies If you do not have time to read the book (I understand people are busy) here is a short blog on “Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries: A Global South Perspective” with some key ideas summarised https://cambridgeblog.org/2024/12/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-countrie… Also, here is the Table of Content where all chapters can be freely downloaded separately https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-count… I would also like to wholeheartedly thank all co-authors (I am sure some are in this list) for their fantastic contributions: Wanshu Cong, Venkatesh Hariharan and Sarayu Natarajan, Vashishtha Doshi and Henrique Estides Delgado, Tales Tomaz, Johannes Thumfart, Enrico Calandro, Stefano Calzati, Olga Bronnikova, Françoise Daucé, Ksenia Ermoshina, Valéry Kossov, Benjamin Loveluck, Francesca Musiani, Bella Ostromooukhova, Perrine Poupin, Anna Zaytseva, Lastly a final gift: if you like reading hard copies of books here is a discount code DSBC2024 (valid until September 2025) to order from the CUP website www.cambridge.org/9781009531122<http://www.cambridge.org/9781009531122> A very happy new year to everyone! Best Luca

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CfA | Research Sabbaticals (Fellowships) and Working Groups | Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS)
by Nina Hahne Jan. 29, 2025

Jan. 29, 2025

Dear colleagues, The Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) funds innovative research on the societal opportunities and challenges of digital transformation. We support individual researchers (fellows) and collaborative projects (working groups). Fellowships: Time and Space for Focus and Inspiration A fellowship at CAIS provides the freedom to dedicate yourself to your research and the opportunity to engage with a vibrant interdisciplinary community. Step away from your daily work obligations to gain new perspectives and build 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. 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. In addition, we will provide a fully furnished apartment free of charge. Find out more: https://www.cais-research.de/en/cais-college/fellowships/ Working Groups: Boost Your Research Collaboration A working group at CAIS enables you to assemble your own team of experts from different locations to collaborate in a stimulating environment. We provide modern meeting facilities and catering for groups of up to ten members. In addition, we will cover travel and accommodation expenses. You can spend up to three weeks in Bochum or get together for several shorter meetings. Find out more: https://www.cais-research.de/en/cais-college/working-groups/ Application The next deadline for applications is 28 February 2025. The earliest possible start date for new fellowships is April 2026. Working groups can currently apply for meetings in 2026. Please use the application forms provided on our website. The funding program is open to excellent scholars and practitioners at all career stages and from all disciplines. Both fundamental research and applied projects are welcome. Questions? Please contact esther.laufer(a)cais-research.de<mailto:esther.laufer@cais-research.de>. Kind regards ---- Dr. Nina Hahne Referentin für Vernetzung und Nachwuchsförderung Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) gGmbH Konrad-Zuse-Straße 2a, 44801 Bochum Deutschland / Germany email: nina.hahne(a)cais-research.de<mailto:nina.hahne@cais-research.de> Sitz: Bochum - Amtsgericht Bochum HRB 16476 Geschäftsführerin: Prof. Dr. Christiane Eilders Vorsitzende des Aufsichtsrats: Dr. Christina Reinhardt

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CIS-CNRS book club with Payal Arora, 10 feb. 2025, 16h to 17h (CET), by videoconference
by Melanie Dulong de Rosnay Jan. 24, 2025

Jan. 24, 2025

Dear colleagues of the NoC, The Center for Internet and Society, CNRS, Paris, runs an online monthly book club known as Hypertextes. We will welcome Payal Arora, digital anthropologist at Utrecht University, on Monday, 10 february 2025, from 16h to 17h (CET), for a discussion about her book From Pessimism to Promise. Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive Tech. (MIT Press, 2024) https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049306/from-pessimism-to-promise/ The session will be in English, and by way of videoconferencing. Ramya Chandrasekhar <https://cis.cnrs.fr/ramya-chandrasekhar/> (CIS-CNRS) and Olivier Alexandre <https://cis.cnrs.fr/olivier-alexandre/> (CIS-CNRS) will be the discussants. Should this session be of interest to you, please register at the link below. Full description: https://cis.cnrs.fr/hypertextes-payal-arora/ <https://cis.cnrs.fr/hypertextes-payal-arora/> Registration: https://evento.renater.fr/survey/hypertextes-7oi2n9xz <https://evento.renater.fr/survey/hypertextes-7oi2n9xz> --- When it comes to tech, the mainstream headlines are bleak: Algorithms control and oppress. AI will destroy democracy and our social fabric, and possibly even drive us to extinction. While legitimate concerns drive these fears, we need to equally account for the fact that tech affords young people something incredibly valuable—a rare space for self-actualization. In /From Pessimism to Promise/, award-winning author Payal Arora explains that outside the West, where most of the world’s youth reside, there is a significantly different outlook on tech: in fact, there is a contagion of optimism toward all things digital. These users, especially those in marginalized contexts, are full of hope for new tech. As AI disrupts sectors across industries, education, and beyond, who better to shine the light forward, Arora argues, than the Global South, the navigator of all manner of forced disruptions, leapfrogging obstructive systems, norms, and practices to rapidly reinvent itself? Drawing on field insights in diverse global contexts such as Brazil, India, and Bangladesh, Arora describes what drives Gen Z to embrace new technologies. /From Pessimism to Promise/ discusses the shift to relationally driven approaches to design; how to create “algorithms of aspiration”; how to reimagine the digital space for sex, pleasure, and care; and what we can learn from feminist digital activists and women’s collectives in the Global South on shared digital provenance and value, as well as Indigenous approaches to sustainability, that challenges sacred ideas on degrowth, the circular economy, and the doughnut economy. Arora also takes heart in the power of numbers, as the users from the majority world infuse algorithms with everyday aspirations, pushing for a new digital order. Timely and urgent/, From Pessimism to Promise/ makes a deeply compelling case that it is not naive to be optimistic about our digital future. On the contrary, it is our moral imperative to design with hope. *Payal Arora <https://www.uu.nl/staff/PArora>* is a digital anthropologist, consultant, TEDx speaker, and author of the award-winning book /The Next Billion Users/. Forbes named her the “next billion champion” and the “right kind of person to reform tech.” She is Professor of Inclusive AI Cultures at Utrecht University and cofounder of FemLab, a feminist future of work initiative. Kind regards, -- Melanie Dulong de Rosnay Research professor, CNRS https://cis.cnrs.fr/en/melanie-dulong-2/ Center for Internet and Society, CNRS Research Unit and Network Director, Research Network on Internet, AI and Society https://cis.cnrs.fr/en/the-cis/

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