Digital Democracy Sphere

Join us for a new iteration of the Digital Democracy Sphere seminar series with Prof. Paulo de Freitas Castro Fonseca (Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil):

Generative AI and the Social Production of Ignorance: moving beyond hegemonic ethical framings of disinformation

When: Thursday, April 25, 13:30 - 15:00 (lunch served from 13:00; discussion begins 13:30)

Venue: ETH Zürich, Stampfenbachstrasse 69, Floor F seminar room 11

We will be discussing ethics of AI and disinformation around the work conducted and currently in development by Paulo. The seminar will be based on the following readings (do reach out if you need access), and the abstract below:

• Paulo F. C. Fonseca, Barbara E. Ribeiro & Leonardo F. Nascimento, “Demarcating Patriotic Science on Digital Platforms: Covid-19, Chloroquine and the Institutionalisation of Ignorance in Brazil”, Science as Culture, 2022: external pagehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09505431.2022.2105691call_made
• James M. White & Rolf Lidskog, “Ignorance and the regulation of artificial intelligence”, Journal of Risk Research, 2022: external pagehttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13669877.2021.1957985call_made

external pageRegistrationcall_made by Tuesday, April 16 for lunch.
 
We are looking forward to seeing all of you!

Abstract:
This seminar delves into the nuanced intersections of disinformation, ignorance, and AI ethics, drawing on research into the Brazilian far-right's disinformation campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the complexity of disinformation and ignorance, particularly in the Global South, extends beyond current regulatory frameworks for AI, which fail to capture the full spectrum of AI's societal impacts. The presentation contends that AI technologies do not merely operate within the realms of known and unknown risks but actively participate in the creation and perpetuation of ignorance. By selectively amplifying or silencing information, AI systems can obscure knowledge and reinforce ignorance zones, impacting societal understanding and decision-making processes. The seminar critically examines the limitations of hegemonic AI ethics frameworks, highlighting their inadequacy in addressing the multifaceted roles AI plays in shaping social ignorance, from direct contributions to disinformation to subtler influences on cultural visibility and worker de-skilling. By integrating insights from the case study on disinformation strategies and extending the critique to AI's broader societal roles, this seminar offers a comprehensive perspective on the challenges of governing AI.

Bio:
Dr. Paulo F. C. Fonseca, holding a foundational Bachelor’s in Physics and a Ph.D. in Sociology focused on the Social Impacts of Science and Technology, is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Brazil, within the Institute of Science, Technology, and Innovation (ICTI). He is also engaged in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Culture and Society. His academic journey includes a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) program at Harvard University. Currently, as a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra, Dr. Fonseca's research is focused on the societal implications of generative AI for the Global South, employing a critical and interdisciplinary approach.

Perspectives on Zurich’s Digital Transformation

December 19, 2023, 10:00-12:00
Venue: ETH Zentrum, STB F11, Stampfenbachstrasse 69, 8092 Zurich

Registration is closed, the event is fully booked.

Digital transformation is said to be all around us, but how do we comprehend its significance in our own city? What is transforming, how, and for whom?

For a final project in this semester's Science in Perspective-course external pageDigital Ethics and Politicscall_made, students are writing short perspective pieces on aspects of the digital transformation in the city of Zurich. Drawing on humanistic and interpretive social science ways of thinking about technology and society, they analyse topics such as the digital transformation in city administration, spatial planning & mobility, data centres, IoT & more.

On December 19th, students will present their perspectives followed by a discussion with invited guests who, through their work or activism, are engaged in digital transformation in Zurich and Switzerland. Joining us will be Lukas Hess from the external pagedigital-society think tank Dezentrumcall_made, Paul Cross from the Digital Transformation Office of ETH, and Maximilian Stern from external pageSmart City Zurichcall_made. 

We invite anyone at ETH or in Zurich to join us in discussion. We aim to create an intimate and supportive atmosphere in which students, faculty, administration, and the public can come together around a common area of interest across academic, institutional, and city perspectives.  

With Students
Farah Caccin (MSc Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Stefan Kirsten (MA History and Philosophy of Knowledge)
Antoine Liechti (BSc Architecture)
Joel Michel (MA History and Philosophy of Knowledge)
Mariana Moore (MSc Biology)
Jonathan Ruchti (BSc Health Sciences and Technology)
Juanita von Rothkirch (PhD Candidate in Environmental Science)

Guests
Lukas Hess (Partner, Think & Do Tank Dezentrum, Zurich)
Paul Cross (Co-​lead for the Digital Transformation Office, ETH)
Maximilian Stern (Smart City Zürich)

Moderated by
Margarita Boenig-Liptsin (Assistant Prof. of Ethics, Technology and Society) and Leander Lelouvier (MA History and Philosophy of Knowledge)

Join us for the Digital Democracy Sphere #5 event on the topic of teaching technology ethics in ways that respond to contemporary challenges of democracy and support democratic institutions. With guests Karen Huang (Public Policy, Georgetown University) and Kaushik Sunder Rajan (Anthropology, University of Chicago).

When: Wednesday, October 18, 13:15-15:00

Venue: Stampfenbachstrasse 69, Floor F
 

Join us for our last meeting this semester where we will be discussing the concept of social constitutionalism with legal scholar Raffaela Kunz, Junior Fellow at the Collegium Helveticum, and the following readings:

• Giovanni De Gregorio, external page“The rise of digital constitutionalism in the European Union”call_made, International Journal of Constitutional Law, 2021
• Angelo Jr. Golia, external page“The Critique of Digital Constitutionalism”call_made, MPIL Research Paper Series No. 2022-​13

When: Thursday, June 1, 12:00 - 14:00 (lunch served from 12:00; discussion begins 12:30)

Venue: ETH Zürich, Stampfenbachstrasse 69, Floor F seminar room 11

Co-​organized by Margarita Boenig-​​Liptsin and Ricky Wichum

Registration by Wednesday, May 25 for lunch.

Join us for our third meeting where we will be discussing the concept of sovereignty and its application to the digital with external pageJulia Ronecall_made, a postdoctoral scholar in the Digital Society Initiative of the University of Zürich, and the following readings:

• Julia Pohle and Thorsten Thiel, “external pageDigital Sovereigntycall_made,” Internet Policy Review, 2021
• Jukka Ruohonen, “external pageThe Treachery of Images in the Digital Sovereignty Debatecall_made,” Minds and Machines, 2021

When: Thursday, April 27, 12:00 - 14:00 (lunch served from 12:00; discussion begins 12:30)

Venue: ETH Zürich, Stampfenbachstrasse 69, Floor F seminar room 11

Co-​organized by Margarita Boenig-​Liptsin and Ricky Wichum

Registratio by Thursday, April 19 for lunch.

Join us for our second meeting where we will be discussing the article of external pageLouise Amoore, “Machine learning political orders”call_made (2022) and brainstorming about the question that emerged in our last meeting, “What dimensions of democracy can be digitalised?”

Thursday, March 16, 12:00 - 14:00 (lunch served from 12:00; discussion begins 12:30)
Stampfenbachstrasse 69, Floor F seminar room
Co-​organized by Margarita Boenig-​Liptsin and Ricky Wichum
Registration by Thursday, March 9 for lunch