Virtual Colloquium: Outside the Bubble

The digital age confronts us with huge societal challenges like growing inequality, algorithmic bias, surveillance technologies and data monopolies disrupting social cohesion and equity. But we reflect these challenges often only within our own filter bubble. As in physical space, in the digital we like to surround ourselves with people who have similar views and values as ourselves. In times of physical distancing, we almost solely rely on the digital realm to provide us with new information and inspiration. Here, instead of exposure to chance encounters and opinions, we each move in our own filter bubbles where we consume information tailored specifically towards our own interests and opinions by algorithms.
Changing perspectives has become a harder thing to do under current circumstances so this semester we want to use the opportunity the digital format of the Colloquium gives us to invite speakers with different views from different parts of the world to discuss together with us their perspectives on the digital society of tomorrow. What is their view on the individual in the digital world in times of increasing data analysis, profiling and dwindling privacy? Is digital sovereignty a thing in their bubble and how does design play into all of this? We will invite Open Data activists, cultural studies scholars, designers, artists, philosophers and anything in between to exchange views on our digital past, present and future on a global level.