MIC Book Talk: Christopher Robé | Annenberg School
Annenberg SchoolBook Talk and Panel with Chris Robé – “Abolishing Surveillance: Digital Media Activism and State Repression”
Loading view.
Regulating Platforms & Speech in an Age of Fake News | Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society
Boston University Boston, MA, United StatesMisinformation has been a problem for all of human history, but is particularly challenging to control on today’s social media platforms. Under the current US Section 230 regulation, internet companies are not held responsible for the content shared on their platforms. Other countries have taken different approaches to regulation. With a shared goal to maintain […]
Report launch: Offensive speech and hate speech targeted at Congressional Candidates in the 2024 Election | Center for Democracy & Technology
VirtualWomen of color candidates continue to be underrepresented in Congress while also facing significant challenges in running for office. One of these challenges includes the kinds of offensive and hate speech they are subject to on social media platforms. In this research briefing, we will share findings from a new study conducted by the Online Violence […]
Can We Rebuild Trust in the Information Environment? | NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics and the Center for News, Technology & Innovation
New York University New York, NY, United StatesFor decades, America has seen a steady decline in trust in institutions — in government, science, media, and even the very idea of democracy. The problem stems from several places, such as rising political polarization and declining civic participation. But many place the blame on our increasingly siloed and partisan information environment, which is exacerbated […]
The Campaign to Curb Misinformation Research | Boston University
VirtualThe alarming rise of mis- and disinformation influencing recent elections spurred a flurry of new research to understand the trend. But work among academics, nonprofits and the technology sector made some activists suspicious that a conspiracy was developing to muzzle conservative and right-wing ideas – leading to a campaign to curb research. In these polarized […]
Has the AI Election Threat Materialized? | NYU
VirtualSince ChatGPT first launched nearly two years ago, many have claimed the rise of AI would pose a significant threat to elections. Reports warned that a surge of AI-generated disinformation could undermine democracy. Intelligence officials worried that foreign actors would use AI to disrupt the electoral process. Americans agreed, with more than half saying AI could impact who will win in November.
Threats to Democracies: A Transatlantic Workshop on Media and the 2024 Elections
VirtualJoin us for “Media Coverage of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election: The View from Germany and the United States,” a Fireside Chat hosted by the UNC Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life, in partnership with UNC Global Affairs, Thomas Mann House Los Angeles, and the UNC Center for European Studies, and co-sponsored by the UNC School of Information and Library […]
The Future of Third-Party AI Evaluation | CRFM & CITP
VirtualGeneral-purpose AI systems are now deployed to billions of users, but they pose risks related to bias, fraud, privacy, copyright, CBRN, NCII, and more. To assess these risks, we need independent and community-driven evaluations, audits and red teaming, and responsible disclosure. Our workshop on the future of third-party AI evaluation dives into these topics with experts on: Third-party evaluations, […]
Session 13: Robyn Caplan: Studying Networked Platform Governance: A Multi-Perspective Approach | PGMT
This talk will be a reflection on Robyn Caplan’s multi-perspective approach to studying platforms, and will highlight the importance of triangulation when it comes to studying networked actors. This talk will give an overview of Caplan’s research (touching on research on platform personnel, media associations, online creators, civil society actors) and will explore the theoretical […]
Academe in the Age of Social Media: Scholarly Inquiry at Risk? | Annenberg School for Communication
Annenberg SchoolJoin the Center for Media at Risk and the Center on Digital Culture and Society for a symposium examining the relationship between social media and the academy.
The Future of Trustworthy Information: Learning from Online Content Creators
HybridIn this panel, we talk to three online content creators who do journalistic work about how their work is both alike and different than mainstream journalism, how they engage with audiences and what traditional journalists can learn from them.
The Future of Social Media Transparency
Harvard University Cambridge, MassachusettsSocial media platforms have become increasingly opaque at precisely the moment their influence on society has reached unprecedented levels. Over the long-term, we need to conceptualize true independent transparency as an infrastructure project built on four pillars—government requirements & legal protections, international standards, shared tooling, and sustainable funding. We are making slow but steady progress […]
Anger, fear, domination: Dark passions and the power of political speech
The Brookings Institute 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C., United StatesAs liberal democracies around the world are faltering, William Galston’s new book, “Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech,” explores the sources of this decline that stem from the internal vulnerabilities of liberal democracy, particularly the ability of ambitious leaders to mobilize public anger and fear in the service of domination. […]
Federal Efforts to Expand Access to State Administrative Data
WebinarJoin the Center for Democracy & Technology, the Leadership Conference’s Center for Civil Rights and Technology, and Protect Democracy for a webinar on Federal Efforts to Expand Access to State Administrative Data. This event, the third in a series related to government data privacy, follows a recently-released explainer on Federal Efforts to Expand Access to Data from State-Run […]
The EU Code of Practice on disinformation: evaluating VLOPSE compliance and effectiveness
WebinarIn this webinar, Trisha Meyer (co-author) will present the findings of the recently published EDMO report on the compliance and effectiveness of Very Large Online Platforms and Search Engines’ (VLOPSE) actions to implement the Code of Practice (now Code of Conduct) on Disinformation, focusing on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (Search and YouTube), Microsoft (Bing […]
Webcast | The Human Edge: Our Future with Artificial Intelligences
HybridHigher education leaders, researchers, and practitioners will meet in Research Triangle Park on September 17th to explore the evolution of the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Attendees will generate a research agenda to understand and guide the evolution in a positive direction and to bring attention to regional AI capabilities. RTI International […]
Live Podcast Recording | Setting a ‘Tech Agenda’ for Climate Week with Tech Policy Press
VirtualFrom September 21–28, New York City will host Climate Week. Leaders from business, politics, academia, and civil society will gather to share ideas and develop strategies to address the climate crisis. The tech industry intersects with climate concerns in a number of ways, not least of which is through its own growing demand for natural […]
Operation Overload: smarter, bolder, powered by AI
WebinarThe Russian propaganda operation targeted at media organisations and fact-checkers is going stronger than ever. Operation Overload, which was first documented in June 2024, is conquering new platforms and harnessing AI tools to target fact-checkers, media and international audiences with Kremlin propaganda. Don’t miss this webinar with insights from Reset Tech and CheckFirst on how […]
Webinar: The Double-Edged Sword of AI in Peacebuilding | International Panel on the Information Environment
VirtualOn 22 September, the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) invites you to the launch of its landmark report, Artificial Intelligence and Peacebuilding: Opportunities and Challenges. AI is increasingly shaping peacebuilding efforts – helping monitor conflict risks, support humanitarian coordination, and foster dialogue. Yet, the same technologies can also fuel repression, surveillance, disinformation, and […]
Understanding AI with Data & Society | The Environmental Costs of AI Are Surging – What Now?
HybridResearcher Tamara Kneese speaks with environmental justice researcher Sanjana Paul and critical social scientist Jasmine McNealy about the environmental toll AI development is taking on local water supplies, energy systems, and communities around the world. This event will take place online and in person at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on the 7th Floor Artificial […]
2025 Trust & Safety Research Conference | Stanford Cyber Policy Center
Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, CA, United StatesThe Stanford Cyber Policy Center will host its fourth annual Trust & Safety Research Conference on September 25-26, 2025 at Stanford University. The conference brings together trust and safety researchers and practitioners from academia, industry, civil society, and government. The conference aims to advance research in trust and safety while fostering the exchange of ideas […]
Gender & Tech Online Talk Series: Technocapitalism & Environmental Justice
WebinarThe Gender and Tech Talk Series brings together leading scholars, advocates, and practitioners to discuss the intersections of gender, technology, democracy and human rights. It critically examines how digital platforms and technologies impact women, queer and gender-diverse individuals while exploring pathways for more inclusive, rights-focused digital governance frameworks. The fourth talk, “Technocapitalism and Environmental Justice,” […]
AI Hype Working Group: Responsible use of AI in journalism | Public Tech Media Lab
VirtualWelcome to the last session of our AI Hype Working Group! We are thrilled to have Natali Helberger (University of Amsterdam) joining us as a guest speaker. Find more information about this session below: Proposition: Responsible use of AI in journalism begins with responsible procurement. Abstract: The resilience of a democracy is invariably linked to […]
Virtual Event | Deep Dive: Data Governance
VirtualDeep Dive: Data Governance, a premier virtual gathering of leading AI & Data practitioners, is a 3-day Virtual Event on Data Governance, and Open Source AI. Read more about the conference and register to attend here.
The Future of Democracy: Speech, Thought, Sovereignty, and Power in the Age of Platforms and AI
Residence Palace 155 Rue de la Loi, Brussels, BelgiumThe Open Markets Institute and ARTICLE 19 are convening a high-level two-day conference of leading thinkers, lawmakers, technologists, and advocates to discuss the direct and growing threats to our democracies and basic liberties posed by today’s dominant online communications platforms, the rise of AI, and interference by foreign states. The event will be a powerful […]
Webinar | Democracy in the Digital Age: Foundations of Digital Democracy Analysis
VirtualDemocracies today face profound challenges. Digitalisation has reshaped political communication, participation, and governance. The public sphere — where citizens debate issues of common concern — has largely moved online. Digital technologies create new opportunities but also add complexity to politics and society. Digital tools have potentials to broaden citizen participation and can support civil society […]
Automating Content Policy
HybridAI is no longer just moderating individual posts — it is learning how to interpret and enforce policy itself. Dave Willner — who has led trust and safety teams at Facebook, Airbnb, and OpenAI — joins journalist Meg Marco for a conversation about the shifting terrain of moderation in the age of generative AI. From […]
Friend, Flatterer, or Foe? The Psychology and Liability of Chatbots
As AI systems become more conversational, the lines between tool, companion, and manipulator are blurring. What happens when machines start telling us what we want to hear—and when users start depending on them for emotional connection? In this conversation, journalist and author Kashmir Hill joins the Berkman Klein Center’s Meg Marco (Senior Director, Applied Social […]
All Tech is Human | Responsible Tech Summit: Centering Humanity in our Tech Future
SVA Theater 333 W 23 St, New York, NY, United States“We’re excited to announce the theme of this year’s Responsible Tech Summit: Centering Humanity in our Tech Future. Our event will take place on October 27, 2025 at the SVA Theater in NYC and will bring together key stakeholders from across civil society, government, industry, and academia to discuss ways to strengthen and broaden the […]
The Future of Free Speech Online | The Age of Constitutional Evasion: Jawboning and Other Forms of Government Pressure to Control Private Speech
VirtualHosted by the Center for Democracy & Technology and Stand Together Trust, the Future of Speech Online conference is an annual event that brings together policymakers, media, academics, corporations, advocates, and thought leaders to discuss today’s most pressing issues around free speech online. Governments have always worked to shape the speech of private parties and […]
Understanding AI with Data & Society | Reorienting AI for the Public Interest
HybridThe New York Public Library and Data & Society present “Understanding AI,” a four-part live event series exploring the social implications of artificial intelligence and its impacts on democracy, the environment, and human labor. Featuring key figures in the AI ethics field, these events will take place in person at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) in New York City as part […]
Panel Discussion | Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Sowing Disunity in Black Communities Through Digital Propaganda
HybridThis panel brings together Black feminist scholars, writers, and public intellectuals to examine how and why debates about gender, sexuality, and nationality consistently emerge as top topics on social media platforms within Black discursive communities. How do algorithms and influencer culture contribute to sowing discontent and misinformation among Black social media users? We consider the […]
The Double Black Box: National Security, AI, and the Struggle for Democratic Accountability, with Ashley Deeks, November 12 The Double Black Box: National Security, Artificial Intelligence, and the Struggle for Democratic Accountability
HybridRapid advances in artificial intelligence are increasingly vital to national security operations. The United States, China, and other states seek to harness these tools to bolster their own military and intelligence superiority. Yet their advent exacerbates an existing paradox within our democracy: some of the most consequential decisions made in the name of national security […]
Beyond the Algorithm: From Research to Action for Democratic Renewal
HybridBeyond the Algorithm: From Research to Action for Democratic Renewal is a hybrid event jointly organised by the Horizon Europe KT4D, ORBIS, ITHACA and AI4GOV projects. The event puts under the spotlight the rapid deployment of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data technologies and how these these technologies hold the promise of fostering civic participation, transparency, […]
PAIRS: Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium 2026
The 2nd edition of the International Participatory AI Research and Practice Symposium (PAIRS) will take place concurrent with the India AI Impact Summit. Like the first edition, which was an independent side-event of the Paris AI Action Summit in February 2025, and PAIRSx Africa, held online concurrent to the Global AI Summit on Africa in […]
AI and the Concentration of Power
HybridZoë Hitzig, known for her research and writing on the political economy of AI, including a widely discussed op-ed reflecting on her decision to leave OpenAI, will examine how AI systems may reshape where knowledge resides and how decisions are made. As these systems begin to capture and operationalize forms of tacit, experience-based knowledge long […]
Digital Identity Symposium: Towards User-Owned Identity
Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University 1557 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, United StatesLogging into social media platforms and other apps increasingly requires revealing sensitive information, like your birthday and full legal name. That data is collected, processed and shared in ways that can be opaque to the user. It’s no wonder six-in-ten U.S. adults say they do not think it is possible to go through daily life […]
Global Forum: FIMI & Hybrid Threats
HybridAbout the Forum Over the past two years, FIMI has shifted from isolated disinformation campaigns to coordinated, AI-enabled operations that combine narrative manipulation, cyber disruption, economic pressure, and reputational attacks — often running simultaneously. The threat is no longer niche. It targets governments, democratic institutions, corporations, and civil society at the same time. This forum […]
The Civic Toolkit: Digital Literacy in the Age of AI
The Civic Toolkit 2026 Wasserturm, EUREF-Campus 18, Berlin, GermanyDemocracies around the world are grappling with declining trust in public institutions, increasing polarisation and the rapid spread of disinformation, often amplified by AI. How can we best build digital literacy and strengthen democratic culture to reconnect citizens with decision-making? At this critical moment, civic engagement feels increasingly fragile. Yet it remains one of our most powerful tools […]
AI Can Make Conflict Worse or Better
HybridJoin the Tech Impact and Policy Center on April 21st from 12PM–1PM Pacific for a seminarwith Jonathan Stray. About the Seminar: There has been much discussion of how AI can help humans cooperate, but much less about what happens when you add AI to humans who disagree — potentially violently. Social media systems, which are increasingly […]
Doing Digital Platform Research with Australian Internet Observatory
VirtualA free Australian Internet Observatory Webinar exploring the tool and process for using data donations as a method for collecting digital platform data. Presented by Prof Dan Angus (QUT), Prof Nic Carah (University of Queensland) and Dr Amanda Lawrence (RMIT University). Digital platforms shape how Australians access information, communicate, entertain, engage with government services, participate […]
Influencer Diplomacy Symposium
VirtualThe Influencer Ethnography Research Lab (IERLab) is hosting our next symposium on Influencer Diplomacy, to be held via Zoom on 24 April 2026, 10:00 – 16:00 (AWST). This one-day online event focuses on the generative concept of “influencer diplomacy,” understood as the ways in which influencer cultures, practices, and industries shape diplomatic processes. This includes influencers taking […]
Call for Contributions: Search Engines and Society Annual Conference (SEASON 2026)
On behalf of the Search Engines and Society Network (SEASON), we invite submissions for the 2026 edition of the Search Engines and Society Annual Conference (SEASON 2026), to be held at HAW Hamburg, Germany, from 15–17 September 2026. Following the success of SEASON 2025, which brought together an engaged and diverse international community of researchers, […]
“AI, Algorithmic Media, and Digital Governance: Power, Control, and Technological Transformation” | Call for Papers for Special Issue
We are pleased to announce a Call for Papers for a forthcoming special issue titled “AI, Algorithmic Media, and Digital Governance: Power, Control, and Technological Transformation,” to be published in the journal Global Media and China. The accelerating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into digital infrastructures represents a profound transformation in contemporary media environments and governance […]
Synthetic Social Media: Studying Platform-Embedded AI | Call for Proposals
Social media platforms are increasingly shaped by the integration of generative AI alongside long-standing analytical and predictive models. Today’s algorithmic systems are moving from the background infrastructure to the forefront of digital social life – where autonomous AI agents operate in coexistence with (or independently of) human users. They intervene in the content feeds as […]
Look What You Made Me Do: How FIMI Actors Weaponize Pop Culture
VirtualWhat if viral cultural moments were not just entertainment, but strategic entry points for influence? High-visibility events, from major entertainment events to viral online controversies, are increasingly used within the information environment as opportunities for influence and narrative shaping. This webinar explores how Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) actors exploit these moments to inject […]
PAIRSx Africa 2026: Shaping African AI Through Participatory Governance and Design
Raddison Blu Hotel, Lusaka 19029 Great East Rd, Lusaka, ZambiaIn 2025, the first PAIRSx Africa webinar was held alongside the Global AI Summit on Africa in Rwanda. The session brought together policy experts, practitioners, developers, and academics to advance the practice of participatory AI across Africa. It served as a critical point for defining Africa’s participatory needs and establishing a community capable of formulating […]
Rebuilding Belonging in a Digital Age: Teens, Tech, & Third Places
HybridJoin the Tech Impact and Policy Center on May 12th from 12PM–1PM Pacific for a seminarwith Jennifer Heifferon & Alanna Powers-O’Brien. About the Seminar: As adolescence becomes increasingly digital, public discourse tends to focus on screen time, platform design, and online harms. Yet alongside these concerns, a parallel transformation has unfolded: the steady erosion of physical spaces meant […]
Call for Papers: Measuring Media Use and Effects | Annual Conference of the Methods Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK)
The increasing availability of digital behavioral data and computational tools has transformed how communication researchers study media use, exposure, and effects. These developments offer unprecedented analytical depth – but also introduce new complexities in measurement, theory-building, and ethical practice. This year’s conference of the Methods Division invites contributions that advance and critically engage with computational […]
Conspiracy Theories in the Wake of Disaster | Call for Papers for Edited Volume
In late September, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the continental United States, churning its way up the Atlantic seaboard. The storm devastated North Carolina with massive rainfall and flooding of towns such as Asheville. All told, the damage from Helene totaled over 50 billion dollars and the loss of entire communities. But Hurricane Helene […]
Inside the 2026 AI Index Report | Stanford HAI
HybridThe AI Index, currently in its ninth year, tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data relating to artificial intelligence. What is changing in the field of AI? Join Stanford HAI’s AI Index Lead Sha Sajadieh for an exclusive look into this trusted source of AI intelligence. Learn about the year’s major AI breakthroughs, changes in the […]
Call for Abstracts: The Politics of GenAI Governance
João C. Magalhães (University of Manchester, UK), Klara Matusewicz (University of Manchester, UK), and Robert Gorwa (WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Germany) are organising a two-day workshop, The Politics of GenAI Governance, at MANCEPT 2026 in Manchester, 2–4 September 2026. The workshop treats GenAI governance as a collective and contested political practice — asking which […]
What Digital Futures Do We (Not) Want?
VirtualDemocracies today face profound challenges, including the proliferation of fake news and online disinformation, the rise of digital authoritarianism and digital fascism, the big tech monopolies of online platforms such as Google, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, WhatsApp, ChatGPT, etc., post-truth and algorithmic politics, the danger of a new world war, political polarisation, the breakdown […]
AI companion bots as a public health issue: A new framework for regulation
VirtualAI companion bots are reshaping how people connect, confide, and cope, with children and adolescents among their most active users. Even as evidence of their potential social and developmental harms grows, these products face limited regulatory oversight. On May 26, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings will host a conversation on whether AI companion […]
IPIE | Confronting AI-Generated Misinformation – What the Science Says
VirtualGenerative AI is changing how misinformation is produced, circulated, and perceived. What does the evidence tell us specifically about this cycle, opportunities to mitigate it, and what we don’t know yet? The IPIE is pleased to invite you to our upcoming webinar, presenting findings from our major new meta-analysis drawing on studies that involved more than 33,000 participants. […]
Global Disinformation Summit 2026
VirtualThe GLOBAL SUMMIT ON DISINFORMATION is a space for global interaction where journalists, researchers, academics, fact-checkers, media and government representatives, civil society organizations, professors, and students meet annually to discuss, and present actions, proposals, and success stories on the challenges of fighting disinformation at the global level. Learn more and register to attend here. Note: […]
David vs Goliath in the DSA era: Lessons from Bits of Freedom’s victory
VirtualArticle 38 of the EU Digital Services Act could be described as a masterpiece of legal drafting – 57 words to say very large online platforms must provide a version of their service not based on profiling. Meta provided a sludgy, unusable option. In the absence of action from the European Commission, Dutch NGO Bits […]
We the Dead: Preserving Data at the End of the World
VirtualIn the late nineteenth century, the U.S. government and American corporations generated an unprecedented amount of paper records. The data complex emerged as a national network of repositories built to house all those documents. Over the next several decades, the data complex expanded from traditional archives and libraries to bombproof bunkers and securitized data banks. […]
Enforce on the DSA enforcers: how can Member States legally push the Commission to act?
VirtualThe DSA establishes a hybrid enforcement framework. The European Commission holds exclusive competence to supervise and enforce DSA obligations on Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs). National authorities — Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) — handle all other intermediaries established in their territory. This centralized exclusive competence creates a real […]
Fake News Festival 2026
European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) Große Scharrnstraße 59, Frankfurt, GermanyHow does our world change when artificial intelligence produces content faster than we can verify it? The Fake News Festival brings together science, practice, and the public to examine disinformation, artificial intelligence, and the future of our information society from diverse perspectives. In keynotes, lectures, and workshops, experts from research, media, politics, and civil society discuss how AI is changing the creation and spread of fake news, what risks and opportunities […]
AI and the future of teaching and learning | Brookings
VirtualAs generative AI rapidly reshapes classrooms around the globe, educators and decisionmakers are grappling with a major concern: How can generative AI be used to help, not harm, teaching and learning? What is the role of technology in the classroom? This past January, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings released the report “A new […]
The Luddite Conference on Participatory Futures | The New School
The New School’s Tishman Auditorium, 63 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY The New School's Tishman Auditorium, 63 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, United StatesWith companies like OpenAI taking Pentagon contracts and Elon Musk using government resources to scrape Americans’ data, it’s hard to feel that there are any tangible ways to resist the techno-fascist backslide. To regain a sense of social agency, we are convening a participatory conference inspired by the Luddite movement. We will tackle questions such […]
China’s AI strategy and its impact on the global information space | EU Disinfo Lab
VirtualCan European software built on cheap Chinese AI models be trusted? As open-source model families like Alibaba’s Qwen surge in global popularity, an increasing number of international developers are quietly integrating them into their tech stacks. However, this cost-effective accessibility may come with a significant hidden vulnerability: the systematic embedding of Chinese propaganda into core […]
World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026
ITU Headquarters Pl. des Nations 1211, Geneva, SwitzerlandThe WSIS Forum serves as the central multistakeholder convening platform mandated to advance the implementation of the WSIS Action Lines and support global digital cooperation. Anchored in the renewed UNGA mandate, the Forum brings together governments, the private sector, civil society, technical communities, academia, youth, and international organizations in a uniquely inclusive environment for dialogue, […]
A Materialist Critique of Technofascism | ECPR
VirtualIn this talk, Dr. Möllers parses the current debate on technofascism(s) to develop a materialist understanding of technofascist formations from Science and Technology Studies (STS) and anti-colonial perspectives. She demonstrates that a focus on materiality highlights both the ordinariness and global/planetary dimensions of contemporary technofascist formations. She argues that a materialist understanding of technofascist formations […]
AI Real Talk: Spotting AI Slop with Pangram’s CEO | Hacks/Hackers
VirtualThe company Pangram has built the leading product for detecting if purportedly human-written words were actually generated by machines. Their work was among the first to publicly prove the novel “Shy Girl” was largely written by AI, and the book was eventually pulled from store shelves. Pangram has also identified reams of AI-assisted content on […]
Behind the screen: AI slop, young children, and the profit problem | Brookings
VirtualAI slop—low-quality, mass-produced content created by generative AI—is increasingly permeating the digital environments that young children encounter during what is the most critical period for their development and lifelong well-being. As concerns grow about the potential effects of AI slop on young children, questions are also emerging about the incentives that drive its creation and […]
12th International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2)
University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont, United StatesThe International Conference for Computational Social Science (IC2S2) will be hosted by the Vermont Complex Systems Institute at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont from July 28-31, 2026. IC2S2 has emerged as the dominant conference at the intersection of social and computational science, bringing together researchers from around the world in sociology, economics, political science, psychology, cognitive science, […]
JournalismAI Strategy Lab LATAM | Call for Applications
VirtualThe JournalismAI Strategy Lab is expanding, and this time we’re heading to Latin America. We’ve had a great response from the LATAM community over the years, and we’re excited to be launching a programme built specifically for the region and taught entirely in Spanish. Who should apply? Journalists and media professionals ready to move from […]
5th Annual Civics of Technology Online Conference: Against Tech Hype
VirtualHype, hope, disappointment. Hype is the rhetoric of tech billionaires, of VCs, of tech-pushers, of AI boosters and AI doomers. Hype is about attention, grabbing it, holding it. Hype is about resources, gathering them, directing them. Hype is about control. Tech hype is a problem for our society and our schools. It points our time, […]
The Limits of Human Oversight in the Age of AI Agents | Data & Society
VirtualAI agents have begun to move from speculative promise into everyday deployment. They translate high-level goals into plans and carry them out across connected digital environments. Agent builders often promise that users will remain in control through approval prompts and pause buttons. Yet these safeguards work only when users can recognize a mistake and intervene […]
2026 IDeaS Conference | Call for Submissions
Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Information Democracy & Social–cybersecurity (IDeaS) is hosting a conference focused on policy challenges emerging from the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and digital platforms. Advances in AI systems, shifts in platform governance, and the scale and speed of online communication are transforming how information is produced, distributed, and consumed. At […]
Hacks/Hackers AI x Visual Journalism Forum
AI is reshaping visual storytelling. Tools that generate, edit and synthesize images, video and data visualizations are moving faster than the field can track. There are no industry standards, few documented cases and a lot of open questions. So instead of waiting for policy, we are going to jumpstart the conversation and start prototyping. Join […]
Job Call: Assistant Professor Position in Media Industry Studies
University of Pennsylvania: Annenberg School for Communication“The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication is seeking to fill a tenure-track assistant professor position in Media Industry Studies to begin the fall semester of 2027. We are seeking a productive researcher, engaged scholar, and committed teacher/mentor who studies critical approaches to media industries and their intersections with media policy, political economy, advertising, […]
Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) | Funded Research Sabbatical
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 […]
Job Call: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
“Data & Society seeks a post-doctoral research fellow for AI-Enabled Scams as a Systemic Security Challenge, a two-year project housed under our AI & Democracy initiative and led by Director of Research Dr. Alice Marwick. The position is fully remote, begins September 2026, and runs through May 31, 2028. Apply by July 15, 2026.”
Call for Papers – Creator and Influencer Studies
Since 2020, health professionals as creators and influencers has exploded. While they existed long before this date, the advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic accelerated the growth and importance of health influencers/creators. Health professionals now hold an important place in wellness and online communities but often are disregarded in the broader literature or in traditional health […]
AI Civic Action Accelerator | Call for Applications
VirtualThe AI Civic Action Accelerator is a free, 6-session, part-time program that helps individuals and teams refine and advance promising policy solutions to civic artificial intelligence (AI) challenges. The accelerator will support early-stage projects that aim to strengthen the relationship between government, communities, and AI. We are seeking practical, community-driven ideas that help governments tackle […]
EDMO BELUX 2.0 | Countering disinformation, raising democratic resilience
Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies (BrIAS) Blvd Général Jacques 210, Ixelles, BelgiumThe final conference for EDMO BELUX 2.0: Based in Belgium and Luxembourg, we take the opportunity to reflect how our efforts across fact-checking, media literacy, research investigations to monitor and respond to disinformation raise resilience in democratic societies. In particular we seek to contribute policy evidence of societal threats and responses to disinformation. This conference […]
The Label Paradox: Can AI Transparency Create More Distrust? | AI, Media, and Democracy Lab
VirtualOur hopes are pinned on AI labels. AI labels are expected to help users navigate an increasingly synthetic information environment by distinguishing fact from fiction, human from machine. Beginning in August 2025, the EU AI Act requires professional users of GenAI, including journalists, advertisers, political actors, governments, and public institutions, to disclose AI-generated content. The […]
LLMs are the Third Wave of Automated Content Moderation | Penn MEDIATED
VirtualContent moderation is critical to protecting users against harmful and illegal online content, although it may also restrict free expression. Over the past two decades, platforms have increasingly turned to automation to perform content moderation at scale. First through hashing algorithms and later through predictive machine learning methods, many large platforms have automated over 90% of […]
SEASON 2026 Conference | Search Engines and Society Network
HAW Hamburg – Finkenau Campus Finkenau 35, Hamburg, GermanySearch Engines and Society Annual Conference (SEASON 2026) brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss the societal impact of search technologies. The conference offers keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking opportunities. Some of the themes for this year’s conference include: Political bias and elections Literacy and education AI overviews and trust Health and high-stakes information AI […]
Global Guardrails for Agentic AI: Can the UN, or Anybody Else, Provide Them? | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
VirtualDramatic advances in agentic AI models are rapidly outpacing governance responses, raising profound safety concerns and even questions about the future of civilization. As these capabilities explode, the world needs guardrails to minimize AI risks while allowing humanity to reap its rewards. But who, precisely, is best placed to shape the contours of such a […]
PAIRSx Public Sector 2026 | Call for Extended Abstracts
PAIRSPAIRSx Public Sector is an open one-day symposium that will be hosted at the Ada Lovelace Institute on 5th November 2026 to explore how public bodies are engaging and involving the public and civil society organisations around their adoption of AI, particularly in the UK. The PAIRSx Public Sector symposium is a spin-out event from […]
POLITICO Decoded Summit: AI & Tech Policy
HybridJoin POLITICO in Washington, D.C. for special conversations with policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, investors and innovators crafting the rules of the road for AI and the decisions shaping its future. _____ As the development and deployment of artificial intelligence transforms the economy and society, decisions being made today by policymakers and executives will determine who […]
Governing AI: Policy, Power, and Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence | Center for Transformative Media
VirtualArtificial intelligence is no longer an emerging technology — it is already embedded in hiring, healthcare, public infrastructure, and democratic processes, yet the institutions meant to govern it remain incomplete and unevenly distributed across global contexts. This webinar treats AI governance as a political and cultural question rather than a technical one: who sets the […]
IPIE Global Expert Survey 2026 – Launch Webinar
Virtual“For the fourth year running, we asked experts who study the information environment what they’re seeing in their respective countries. The answer is sobering: three in four experts now expect it to worsen over the next year, the highest level we’ve recorded since the survey began. Join us on 16 September at 18:00 CEST for a virtual briefing […]
27th International Symposium on Journalism (ISOJ)
University of Texas at Austin , United StatesThe 27th International Symposium on Journalism (ISOJ) will take place Sept. 17-18, 2026, online and in person at the University of Texas at Austin. Stay up to date with important announcements about the conference by subscribing to our newsletter. El 27º Simposio Internacional de Periodismo (ISOJ) se llevará a cabo los días 17 y 18 […]
Reject then launder: Catching AI Models validating extremist narratives in crisis | EU Disinfo Lab
VirtualWhat happens when you ask AI chatbots about a crisis or terror attack? While models are programmed to block violent content, real-world audits reveal a concerning phenomenon: “Reject then launder.” Chatbots initially condemn the violence to pass safety filters, only to immediately validate and whitewash the underlying extremist ideology in their response. Crucially, this is […]
INMA Media Innovation Week
Hotel Riu Plaza España Gran Vía, 84, Centro, Madrid, SpainINMA’s Media Innovation Week returns to Madrid in September 2026 — uniting Europe’s most ambitious media leaders at the intersection of data, product, audience, and revenue. Madrid will convene the people setting the pace for Europe’s news industry. Alongside established voices, you’ll hear from the innovators building what comes next — the creators rewriting engagement, […]
CRC Critical Data Autumn School 2026 | Synthetic Social Media: Studying Platform-Embedded AI
University Siegen Herrengarten 3, Siegen, GermanySocial media platforms are increasingly shaped by the integration of generative AI alongside long-standing analytical and predictive models. Today’s algorithmic systems are moving from the background infrastructure to the forefront of digital social life – intervening in the content feeds as conversational agents like xAI’s Grok, reshaping identity through synthetic likenesses of OpenAI’s Sora-2, and […]
The Future of Speech Online 2026: The Death of Online Anonymity?
VirtualThis year’s Future of Speech Online will examine the need for online anonymity, where it should or shouldn’t be compromised, the emerging and growing threats to anonymity online, and how to mitigate them. We will bring together civil society, academics, companies, practitioners and others to demonstrate how anonymity is used, how it is achieved technically, […]
Protecting Democracy’s Data | Book Talk
VirtualThe United States census, conducted every ten years, is one of the world’s oldest and biggest data-making endeavors, and one of the country’s most consequential. In her urgent new book Data Are Made, Not Found: A Story of Politics, Power, and the Civil Servants Who Saved the US Census, professor, researcher, and Data & Society founder […]
Co-Opting AI: Archives
VirtualCo-Opting AI: Archives will examine how archives and archiving—as infrastructure, epistemology, and social practice—relate to contemporary AI systems. The session will be recorded for those who cannot attend live – make sure to register to receive notification when the video is available to view.
AI x Investigative Journalism Forum at The New York Times | Hacks/Hackers
The New York Times 242 W 41st St, New York, NY, United StatesFrom document analysis to pattern detection to verification, AI is changing how investigative journalists dive into research and how fast they can move. The question now is how to scale those skills and put them in the hands of reporters to do more accountability journalism under deadline. Join Hacks/Hackers at The New York Times for […]
Call for Submissions: Digital Competition Conference 2027
Knight-Georgetown InstituteThe rapid diffusion of AI and the emergence of AI agents capable of independently accessing tools, initiating processes, and acting on users’ behalf may fundamentally reshape how information and economic activity are organized online. These developments are raising new questions about market power, entry, innovation, and control across the technology stack. At the same time, […]