FACULTY OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY | Conference
Against, with and for artificial intelligence

The many faces of techno-resistance

Polls and pundits frequently tell us that people distrust AI. Yet, governments continue to support AI firms and the value of chipmakers key to AI keeps rising exponentially. Many of the CEOs leading those firms continue to be the poster faces of a supposed fight against the elite yet have themselves had economic power and political influence at the centre of that elite for well over a decade. This one-day conference seeks to explore three seemingly contradictory faces of techno-resistance in the age of AI.

Resistance against AI

In an otherwise polarised age, ‘Anti-‘ or ‘Alter-AI’ (in various forms) has become the empty signifier of a movement crossing the political spectrum as well as a proxy for wider movements against centralisation. The increasing roll-out of AI in the physical world has been met by anti-robot attacks, people posting videos of their acts and encouraging others to follow suit. Environmentalists are finding new friends as they challenge new datacentres projects. Resistance against AI can also provide a means of feedback for improving real-world use of AI, as well as resistance toward representations of AI, negotiation surrounding AI regulations, and its public use.

Resistance with AI

Yet, whilst people are seeking to resist against AI, we also see cases of people using AI as a tool to resist other targets. This includes cash-strapped NGOs seeking to compensate for reduced funding but also everyday individuals looking to improve their self-representation when contacting firms, politicians, and their local doctor. For some, utilising AI within so-called ‘civic tech’ opens the door to new and more democratic means for decision-making as well as strengthen communities. Others warn that the political-economic structure behind AI, including who owns the algorithms and data, means it is a fool’s paradise to believe such platforms can bring new energy to the public sphere.

Resistance for AI

And we should not forget that a key part of the ideological undercurrent within Silicon Valley and its satellites remains a belief that they are developing AI as an alternative to current ways of organising society. From private settlements based on bitcoin to AI-focused religions, the demand for AI serves as a flag held by often extremely wealthy individuals seeking to resist conventional politics based around democracy and public authorities.

Image: Marcin Wilkowski / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Practicalities

Given the many ways one might think about resistance in relationship to AI, we invite for a full-day in-person conference. Attendance is free and includes a coffee break and lunch. There is limited space but, depending on numbers, we are also open to include non-presenting participants.

The conference is hosted by the Future Society & Democracy in Europe research group kindly funded by the Centre for Modern European Studies, a joint initiative between the University of Copenhagen, Malmö University, and Lund University. In collaboration with the AI Politics Hub, Malmö University.