Transdisciplinary Queer Futures of AI

In this event, we gather scholars in AI, from technology, social sciences and the humanities for a trans-disciplinary dialogue about queer perspectives on the development and implementations of AI.

The event

In research on AI, the most common view on the future is that AI will continue to transform our lives by changing how we work, learn, move, care for, interact with each other, and understand the world. Positive transhumanist futurologies promise that AI will result in a better life for everyone and lead to a world of increased efficiency and control, through which disease and death are overcome and AI treatment of raw big data even renders theory obsolete as they speak for themselves.

At the same time, we are increasingly aware of AI's problems regarding representations and discrimination in the underlying data sets, in the training of models, and in societal implementation. Until recently, AI research was dominated by engineers and natural scientists with few collaborations with humanities and social scientists. Yet, increasing calls for trans- and interdisciplinary approaches have been voiced. We need research that bridges disciplinary boundaries to meet the complex problems posed by AI as it increasingly becomes part of all spheres of social and private life.

In this event we bring in perspectives from researchers located in IT-fields, social science, and the humanities to together tackle the complex problem that AI poses and ask, how can Queer perspectives, theory, and methodology provide actionable insights into the kinds of human-Ai futures we want?

Registration

Will open during Autumn 2024

Program

09.00 Registration and coffee

09.30-09.40 Welcome words by Virginia Grande

09.40-10.30 Introductory panel: Why we need queer perspectives on AI, moderated by Lina Eklund with:

• Evelina Liliequist, Associate Professor in Digital Humanities at Humlab, Umeå University
• Karin Danielsson, Docent in Informatics, Director of Humlab, Umeå university, Sweden
• Virginia Grande, Postdoc in Computing Education Research at the Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Sweden
• Coppélie Cocq, Professor in Sámi Studies and Digital Humanities, Assistant director of Humlab, Umeå University and co-director of the Swedish national infrastructure Huminfra.
• Daniella Gáti, Lecturer in Games and Interactive Media, Creative Technologies Subject Group, University of Salford, Manchester, UK

10.30-12.00 Keynote Lecture (TBA)

12.00-13.00 Lunch and queer game demo with Lina Eklund

13.00-14.00 Fireside chat with our second keynote Jenny Sundén Professor at Södertörn University

14.00-14.15: Coffee break

14.15-16.00: Short presentations with:

(TBA)

16.00-16.30: Wrap-up with Virginia Grande and Lina Eklund

18.00- Speakers dinner

Hosts

About the event

The event is hosted by representatives of the QueerAI Network. For more info, please contact the PI, Evelina Liliequist, Associate Professor in Digital Humanities at Humlab, Umeå University

The event is sponsored by the Equal Opportunities Group at the IT department, Uppsala University. For more funding opportunities relating to equal opportunities and IT see: https://www.it.uu.se/about_us/equality/CPF