Interrogating Platform Power

The Open Institute for Digital Transformations and the European Polarisation Observatory present: Interrogating Platform Power, a public event featuring students, researchers, policymakers and civil society members to examine the political power of digital platforms, the governance challenges they pose, and the possibilities and risks of AI for democratic life.

A global political power has taken the stage in the 21st century: the platform. Search engines, social media companies, and AI-powered tools have demonstrated power beyond their economic might: they are shaping political discourse and changing our landscapes of work and learning. How can we scrutinize the algorithmic logics that make these platforms work, and what governance of these systems meets our needs as a society? Can we pursue “AI for good”, using new tools to increase democratic participation, while fighting against social manipulation? Is the solution regulation of emergent tools, or a strategy of “sovereignty” in which companies and nations build tools around European values?

Registration is free but mandatory - deadline 14 May.

The full program is available below.

This event is part of a larger series on “The AI-Mediated Public Sphere.” It includes:

• 18 May 14:00-17:30: “Social, Linguistic, and Political Dynamics in Social Media Platforms” - a scientific seminar presenting recent empirical work on polarisation, misinformation, and socioeconomic patterns in online environments. Learn more.
• 19 May 9:00-18:00: “AI in the Public Sphere” - a research seminar bringing together scholars from across Europe and the United States to discuss how AI shapes political behavior, platform regulation, and research and teaching practices. Learn more.

The Open Institute for Digital Transformations is created as a part of TIERED (State aid is managed by the Agence nationale de la recherche, under France 2030, under reference ANR-22-EXES-0014). The European Polarisation Observatory is financed by CIVICA - The European University for Social Sciences, co-funded by the European Union.

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