Technological change and society

The False Choice between Digital Regulation and Innovation

Memo based on the event organised by the EUI Technological Change and Society interdisciplinary research cluster on 24 November 2023 featuring Columbia Law School Professor Anu Bradford, who talked about her new paper titled 'The False Choice between Digital Regulation and Innovation'.     

The age of the Interspecies: New ways to think about and protect nonhuman life on Earth

Memo is based on the event organised by the EUI Technological Change and Society interdisciplinary research cluster on 15 May 2023 featuring Jonathan Ledgard who talked about the idea of the 'Interspecies Money' - a proposed system for the acquisition of data on other species which seeks to route billions of Euros equivalent through other species simply on account of their continues existence. 

The transformative effect of frontier science

Memo based on the lecture organised by the EUI Technological Change and Society Interdisciplinary Research Cluster on 19 April 2023 featuring ERC President Maria Leptin, who talked about the relationship between science and technology and the transformative effect these have had, and will continue to have, on our world.  

Nuclear Energy: quo vadis?

Memo based on the lecture organised by the EUI Technological Change and Society Interdisciplinary Research Cluster on 17 April 2023, featuring Professor Ronnie Belmans and Professor William D'haeseleer, who talked about the contributions of the nuclear power and evaluated the potential of the nuclear energy.  

Artificial intelligence and EU security. The false promise of digital sovereignty

Memo based on the Policy Talk organised by the EUI Technological Change and Society Interdisciplinary Research Cluster on 20 February 2023, with EUI Visiting Fellow Andrea Calderaro on how the EU could gain digital sovereignty by examining AI from an EU Foreign Policy perspective.

Report on the visit to the Baker Hughes Florence

Summary of the visit on 19 January 2023 by a group of Tech cluster members to the Baker Hughes Florence.

The Theory of Artificial Immutability: Protecting Algorithmic Groups under Anti-Discrimination Law by Sandra Wachter

Memo on the Frontier talk “The Theory of Artificial Immutability Protecting Algorithmic Groups under Anti-Discrimination Law" on 17 October 2022 and interview with the speaker Sandra Wachter (University of Oxford).

In this policy talk, Prof. Wachter argued that algorithmic groups should be protected by non-discrimination law and shows how this could be achieved.

Report on the visit to the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Passo Corese

Summary of the visit on 14 October 2022 by a group of Tech cluster members to the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Passo Corese (Rieti) - FCO1.

Advantages and challenges of electrochemistry in the context of energy transition by Marta Costa Figueiredo

Memo on the Frontier talk “Advantages and challenges of electrochemistry in the context of energy transition” by Marta Costa Figueiredo (TU/e) on 27 June 2022.

In this lecture Professor Costa Figueiredo explained how electrochemistry and electrocatalysis can help on the knowledge generation, reaction improvement and development of alternative industrial processes.

Foundation Models in AI: what impact for policies and law? by Matthias Gallé

Memo on the Frontier talk “Foundation Models in AI: what impact for policies and law?” by Matthias Gallé (Naver Labs Europe) on 30 May 2022.

In this lecture Matthias Gallé provided an overview of AI models and how they are trained. He explained the new challenges that this poses for policies, with regard to copyright law, privacy policies and ethical conflicts.

New Frontiers in Machine-Data Privacy and Governance by Lou Zhang

Memo on the Industry talk “New Frontiers in Machine-Data Privacy and Governance” by Lou Zhang (MachineMetrics) on 23 May 2022.

In this lecture Lou Zhang explained the connection between data generated by machines and developments in their data privacy and governance trends.

The future of prediction. The Social Consequences of Algorithmic Forecasting by Elena Esposito

Memo on the Frontier talk “The future of prediction. The Social Consequences of Algorithmic Forecasting” by Elena Esposito (Bielefeld University and UNIBO) on 16 May 2022.

In this lecture Prof Esposito presented a set of theory-driven empirical studies of the transition from probabilistic forms of uncertainty management to the new algorithmic forms of prediction in three important social areas: personalised insurance, precision medicine, and predictive policing.

Leveraging Blockchain in Education by Primavera De Filippi

Memo on the Frontier talk “Leveraging Blockchain in Education” by Primavera De Filippi (Harvard University and EUI) on 31 January 2022.

In this lecture Primavera explored the new opportunities provided by blockchain technology in the education sector.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Hunting for Technosignatures in the Past, Present and Future by Sofia Z. Sheikh

Memo on the Frontier talk “The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Hunting for Technosignatures in the Past, Present and Future” by Dr. Sofia Z. Sheikh (SETI Institute) on 24 January 2022.

In this lecture Dr Sheikh gives a broad overview of the history and conceptual foundations for SETI, including ethical and policy issues, methodologies used in the field, and some of the cutting-edge analyses and instruments being developed by technosignature researchers today.

Me and my Markov Blanket by Karl Friston

Memo on the Frontier talk “Me and my Markov Blanket” by Karl Friston (UCL) on 22 November 2021.

In this lecture Professor Friston offered a heuristic proof (and simulations of a primordial soup) suggesting that life—or biological self-organisation—is an inevitable and emergent property of any random dynamical system that possesses a Markov blanket.

Technological disputation by Niall Cochláin and Marco Almada

Memo on the Technological Disputation on the statement “Before we repeat history and have mass adoption of [human] augmentation technology, we should stop and think about how we regulate this for the good of humanity.” (David Jacoby) discussed by Niall Cochláin (EUI) and Marco Almada (EUI) on 8 June 2021.

Technological Disputation by Elena Pisanelli and Agnieszka Jablonowska

Memo on the Techological Disputation on the quote: “Big data processes codify the past. They do not invent the future” (Cathy O’Neil) discussed by Elena Pisanelli (EUI) and Agnieszka Jablonowska (EUI) on 25 May 2021.

Digital Addiction by Matthew Gentzkow

Memo on the Frontier talk “Digital Addiction” by Matthew Gentzkow (Stanford University) on 24 May 2021.

In this lecture Professor Gentzkow explained the potentially addictive and harmful side of digital technologies such as smartphones and social media, via a randomised experiment involving more than 2000 smartphone users.

Science Fiction and AI: Lawmaking lessons from the mythical origins of copyright law

To what extent should we regulate novel technologies based upon the mythology attributed to them through literature? This question is central to both my work and to a recent presentation by EUI Professor Nicolas Petit to the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the Digital Age (AIDA). This blog provides a brief analysis of the role of myth, allegory, and origin stories in lawmaking. It reveals the influence myth and fiction have on policy-makers and asks how we might make better use of these sources of knowledge.

Cyber capacity building in the Global South: A model for overcoming inequalities in transnational governance? by Andrea Calderano

Memo on the Digital Coffee Meeting “Cyber capacity building in the Global South: A model for overcoming inequalities in transnational governance?” by Andrea Calderano (EUI and Cardiff University) on 3 May 2021.

In this presentation Professor Calderano addressed the role of science diplomacy in supporting capacity building efforts in the Global South beyond its security and engineering dimensions.

AI, Hume and a guillotine: The dangers of machine-learning loops

Anyone who ever engaged with a lawyer will notice how binary lawland is. Lawyers like to divide the basic facts of life into dichotomies: lawful/unlawful, just/unjust, fair/unfair, proportional/disproportional, and so on. A less well-known distinction in legal science is that between the descriptive and the normative.

Technological Disputation by Andrea Calderano and Andrea Renda

Memo on the Technological Disputation about the quote “How Artificial is Artificial Intelligence?” (Michael I. Jordan) discussed by Andrea Calderano (EUI and Cardiff University) and Andrea Renda (EUI) on 19 April 2021.

Isaac Asimov for policymakers: Beyond the three laws of robotics by Nicolas Petit

Memo on the Digital Coffee Meeting “Isaac Asimov for policymakers: Beyond the three laws of robotics” by Nicolas Petit (EUI) on 12 April 2021.

In this presentation Professor Petit distilled technology policy lessons from the works of science fiction writer Isaac Asimov.

Cooperating with Machines by Jacob Candrall

Memo on the Frontier talk “Cooperating with Machines” by Jacob Candrall (Brigham Young University) on 15 March 2021.

In this lecture Professor Candrall explained how to create, understand and regulate intelligent machines that cooperate with people. 

Technological Disputation by Philip Hanspach and Arthur Dolgopolov

Memo on the Technological Disputation about the quote “State-run algorithms should stay in the realm of science fiction” (Tim Harford) discussed by Philip Hanspach (EUI) and Arthur Dolgopolov EUI) on 8 March 2021.

Assessing restrictions on cross-border data flows in trade policy by Martina Ferracane

Memo on the Digital Coffee Meeting “Assessing restrictions on cross-border data flows in trade policy” by Martina Ferracane (EUI) on 1 March 2021.

In this presentation Martina focused on three main topics: taxonomy of restrictions of data flows, costs of restrictions of data flows and data flows in trade policy.

Unlocking the potential of AI : opportunities and challenges for European policy

On 14 January 2021, members of the European Parliament’s (EP) committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA) consulted with experts from the European University Institute (EUI) on topics in the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI). The AIDA committee is also focused on developing a strategy for Europe to survive in a digital world and eventually assume a leadership role in AI. After an introduction in which AIDA committee members outlined their goals and expectations for the role that AI will play in society, the EUI experts provided some general remarks on AI and algorithms, and then presented their original research.

Technological disputation by Anthony Rosborough and Francisco De Andreu Duarte

Memo on the Technological Disputation about the statement “Technology is neither good nor bad – nor is it neutral” (Melvin Kranzberg) discussed by Anthony Rosborough (EUI) and Francisco De Andreu Duarte (EUI) on 11 January 2021.