ECREA Communication & Democracy Section Off-Year Conference

Deadline for abstracts: January 15, 2025

https://automatingdemocracy.wordpress.com/ 

We invite submissions for the ECREA Communication & Democracy Section's off-year conference, Automating Democracy: AI Use Between Social Justice and Social Control, hosted by the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication in Rotterdam on May 22-23, 2025. 

This conference will explore the transformative effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on democratic processes, focusing on two inter-related themes:   

• AI & governance

• AI & citizen participation

We welcome a broad range of submissions engaging with both practical applications of AI and the technological hype through which AI is represented and talked about in political life. We are interested in questions such as: How is the technological hype around AI impacting contemporary democratic imaginaries? What would civic-oriented AI solutions entail? How are public discussions about automated decision-making informing the public sector’s propensity towards implementing such solutions in governance?  How can citizens call for the development of ethical and transparent AI-use in governance? What are citizens and public authorities doing with AI? To what extent can AI facilitate citizen mobilization and political participation? 

The conference will bring together faculty, PhD students and research MA students conducting critical research to examine AI’s potential in advancing social justice and inclusion, as well as its capacity for social control and marginalization. We are particularly interested in theoretical and empirical contributions that explore the role of AI in (re)shaping public policy, governance practices and democratic oversight; and, the role of AI in empowering or suppressing political participation, citizen activism and social movements. 

The two-day event will include two keynote lectures, panel discussions, and a practitioner-scholar roundtable. This roundtable will provide a platform for dialogue between civil society representatives and participants on current practices and challenges of AI-use for progressive social change. 

Conference submission and fees 

Please submit a 250-words abstract indicating the intended theme by January 15, 2025, via email at automatingdemocracy2025@gmail.com 

Notifications of acceptance will be sent by February 15, 2025.

Registration fees: 150 euro for PhD and (research) MA students; 200 euro for faculty members. PhD and (research) MA students should indicate their status in the abstract. The fee covers coffee-breaks and lunch during the conference. 

The organizers intend to bring together the conference contributions into an edited collection. 

For more information, visit the conference website at  https://automatingdemocracy.wordpress.com/

Conference organizing committee

Dr. Delia Dumitrica, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Dr. Ofra Klein, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Victoria Balan, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Dr. Giuliana Sorce, Tubingen University

Dr. Jun Liu, University of Copenhagen

Dr. Arianna Bussoletti, Sapienza Universita di Roma