Architectures of Opacity: Entangled Layers of Government Secrecy, Security Practices, and Algorithmic Systems

Layers of secrecy, often exacerbated by the technical tools, are a common feature of current world events. For example, the U.S. attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, Iran, raises numerous questions about the potential role that AI-enabled tools may (or may not) have played, the governmental levels of classification, and the unanswered questions about the legally-relevant measures that were (or not) taken during the attacks. 

The focus on ‘architectures of opacity’ invites interdisciplinary scrutiny of how these layers, from state classification to AI black-boxing, resist epistemic closure while enabling strategic ambiguity exploited by security actors. Contemporary research topics frequently encounter elements of secrecy, which may include difficulties in accessing sites or files, speaking to individuals with certain experiences, or understanding tools or technologies.

This event explores how secrecy can be transformed from an obstacle into a productive research object.