Sociotechs

The foundational elements of EU migration policies and security technologies started to take a turn in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, accelerating the research and use of traditional military and war technologies such as drones in civilian border management...

Health data governance should ensure protection for individuals' health data against violations, while enabling the smooth functioning of healthcare systems. Doing so involves a complex set of stakeholders, opening multiple questions which directly affect the way our health data are collected, stored and managed. Today we sit with Dragana Paparova to unpack such questions, learning about issues and practices at the heart of health data governance...

The narrative of digital deception pervades the discourse on generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), opening important questions on the validity and verifiability of the information we come across daily. In this landscape, generative AI is now being extensively used to create engaging bots on social media which poses several threats to the fabric of trust and safety we as users expect over the internet...

Humanitarian aid has undergone significant transformations in recent years, driven in part by the increasing integration of technology and the growing influence of private partners. Such a development not just changes who the actors are also, the mindset and response these actors bring for such an important ecosystem. We sit with Giulio Coppi to understand the principles of humanitarian aid, how digital technologies have been employed and the increasing influence of private players...

The notion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for social good is being actively pushed as a route to involve private tech vendors in the pursuit of targets ascribing to the Sustainable Development Goals. With our guest Gianluca Iazzolino, we discuss the implications of the "AI for Social Good" (AI4SG) logic for intended providers and beneficiaries, with a focus on Africa...

At a time when machines undertake practices previously delegated to human expertise, questions of skill erosion become prominent. Our guests Esko Penttinen and Joona Ruissalo illuminate the intersections of automation and skill erosion, which denotes a situation of decline in people's ability to manage tasks with the same effectiveness as before...

Data reuse is crucial to making existing datasets accessible across users, systems and organisations...

In this episode we discuss data labeling, the intensive work behind the scenes of AI, with Srravya Chandhiramowuli. Through Srravya's expertise, we explore the myth and realities of data labeling, focusing on the demands experienced by workers and on the many competing challenges experienced in meeting them. Our conversation continues by exploring the origins of such demands, delving into the interests of client firms and their impacts on the lives of workers...

In this episode, we sit down with Aleksi Aaltonen to discuss his focus on data as semantic material and its implications for understanding technology in society. Delving into data ontology, we uncover its implications for the big data industry and how data simplification impacts its ability to capture reality. Aleksi introduces the concept of "data commodities," discussing their significance in today's landscape...

We delve into the world of border securitization and specifically, the involvement of AI in the EU's border externalization strategy. Our guest Antonella Napolitano sheds light on using surveillance technologies at the borders. From the concept of "border externalization" to the implications of the AI Act, we explore the consequences of outsourcing surveillance and the role of the EU as a funder...