WASP-HS

Synthetic Data: Representation and/vs Representativeness
2025-08-19 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Stockholm) | Aarhus 2025 Computing [X] Crisis Conference
Please note that this event is independently organized by a WASP-HS researcher and not the WASP-HS Program Office.
Synthetic data promises to address three key concerns for data-driven technologies: sparsity, privacy, and bias or lack of diversity. This workshop will interrogate the promise of creating better, more diverse, more representative datasets, by critically examining how data are understood to be “representative” in different senses, for example, statistically, through stereotype, or more qualitative and individual depictions of identity and other qualities. We invite participation from anyone interested in the broad questions of what it means to “represent” things and people in data. To ground the event across our various disciplines and practices, we ask you to submit a short (1-2 page) position statement on the topic of data “representation” in your context. Accepted submissions will be shared with all participants via the workshop website before the event, allowing participants to introduce themselves to each other and for asynchronous discussions of their position papers and virtual network building from the start.
Location
Aarhus 2025 Computing [X] Crisis Conference
Important Dates
Submissions due – 8 June, 2025
Notification of Acceptance – 13 June, 2025
Workshop – 18 or 19 August, 2025 (TBC)
Submission information
Submissions should be 1-2 A4 pages, not including references. We welcome alternative formats like artistic works, design fictions, or policy statements. Please contact us to discuss how best to submit alternative formats. Submit position papers via email to synthetic-data-workshop@protonmail.com, following the template below:
SUBJECT LINE: Aarhus2025 Synthetic Data Represent – Submissions
BODY:
Name – [name]
Affiliation – [affiliation]
Pronouns – [Optionally, specify which pronouns you would like organizers to
use for you when discussing your submission]
Other information – [Optionally, include anything else you would like
organizers to know, for example accessibility requirements]

PhD Defence: Health Data Governance in the Age of Digital Health: Legal Approaches of the EU and China
2025-09-05 10:00 - 13:00
Zhicheng He defends his doctoral thesis, “Health Data Governance in the Age of Digital Health: Legal Approaches of the EU and China” at Stockholm University.
See event page.
Abstract
This dissertation explores how legal frameworks in the EU and China respond to the growing tension between the use of health data and the protection of privacy in the digital health era. As technologies such as AI, wearable devices, and health-monitoring sensors increasingly reshape the delivery of care, legal systems face mounting pressure to support data-driven innovation while upholding individual rights. Through a comparative legal analysis of key instruments such as the EU’s GDPR, European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation, and China’s Personal Information Protection Law, the study examines how each jurisdiction regulates health data, defines the legal bases for its use, and integrates privacy-enhancing technologies like anonymisation. In doing so, it aims to generate insights into how law can address the shared global challenge posed by the dual demands of innovation and privacy in a society striving for better health.
See full thesis.
Supervisor
Zamboni, Mauro, ProfessorGreenstein, Stanley, Associate ProfessorKampel, Martin, Doctor
Opponent
Tuomas Pöysti, former Chancellor of Justice, Finland

Webinar with Patrick Hynes about HAI
2025-09-16 16:30 - 17:30 | Online via Zoom
Welcome to an engaging seminar featuring Patrick Hynes, Senior Manager of Research Communities at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI). Patrick will present an overview of HAI’s mission and vision, and explore in detail its activities across research, education, and policy.
The discussion will offer examples of funded research projects, showcase some of HAI’s policy briefings, and spotlight some of the multi-stakeholder workshops and conferences that HAI has held in order to address the pressing challenges and opportunities posed by the extraordinary advances witnessed in AI.
The seminar is a fantastic opportunity for WASP-HS PhD students interested in upcoming postdoc opportunities at Stanford University.
Read more about HAI.

Registration
Please register below no later than September 14 to attend the webinar. A zoom link will be sent to all who have registered.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *University *GDPR Agreement *I consent to having WASP-HS store my submitted information so they can respond to my inquiry.Submit

PhD Defense: Fact and Ideology in the Machine: Modelling Knowledge and Belief in Neural Models from Text
2025-09-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Chalmers University of Technology
Denitsa Saynova defends her doctoral thesis, “Fact and Ideology in the Machine: Modelling Knowledge and Belief in Neural Models from Text” on September 17 at Chalmers University of Technology.
See event page.
Abstract
This thesis explores questions of knowledge, language, and neural network models. Motivated by an increasing need for insight into complex political and social science phenomena, we study how methods within natural language processing (NLP) can help us gain such insight. With a particular focus on a model’s knowledge, how it is structured, and how we can access and assess it, we study two important aspects of NLP models.
First, we investigate their capabilities and limitations, focusing on how they can capture political and social signals. We use embedding models to capture and reveal distinctions in policy and ideology in Swedish political parties, discussing the strengths and drawbacks of the approach. We also investigate the presence of more complex social knowledge in large pre-trained language models. We prompt models to produce synthetic samples of responses to social science experiments and access if effects calculated from the synthetic data can be used to predict a study’s replicability. A central limitation we find in these studies is the lack of robustness, which we explore in depth by studying what influences model consistency in a more simplified setting, namely, recalling facts.
Second, we aim to bridge the gap between the model and the domain expert by developing and improving interpretability insights of model behaviour. We develop a method for aggregating class-level explanations for a text classifier and demonstrate its utility in the context of Swedish political texts. We also develop the understanding of how models store and access factual information. We propose a taxonomy of possible language model behaviours for fact completion and, based on our novel testing data set, examine internal knowledge structures using established mechanistic interpretability methods.
See full thesis.
Supervisors
Opponent
Dirk Hovy, Professor, Bocconi University

PhD Defence: Online Content Moderation: The Regulatory Continuum from EU Regulation to Platform Self-Regulation
2025-09-26 10:15 - 17:00 | Uppsala University, Biskopsgatan 3, Uppsala, 753 10
Silvia A. Carretta defends her doctoral thesis, “Online Content Moderation: The Regulatory Continuum from EU Regulation to Platform Self-Regulation” on September 26 at Uppsala University.
See event page.
Abstract
In today’s digital landscape, users generate a staggering amount of content every minute. Some of this content poses serious legal challenges, including terrorist propaganda, copyright-infringing works, hate speech and disinformation. Online platforms are under growing pressure to moderate such content. They must comply with legal obligations to remove illegal content or risk liability, while remaining free to exercise discretion in enforcing private moderation policies to restrict lawful content they deem incompatible with their Terms and Conditions. This dual role raises pressing legal and societal questions about the balance between public regulation and the growing influence of private actors in governing online speech.
This book investigates how content moderation is regulated within the European Digital Single Market. While public regulation has been widely debated, there is a lack of insight into how the public and private regulatory spheres interact in this context. The study frames the issue within two complementary dimensions: the Regulation “of” platforms, involving binding legislative acts which mandate the removal of illegal content (most notably the Digital Services Act), and the Regulation “by” platforms, private governance mechanisms comprising co-regulatory initiatives beyond state-mandated obligations, self-regulation practices, and private rule-making embedded in online platforms’ Terms and Conditions.
The analysis is structured around the concept of a regulatory continuum and follows a theoretical classification of three modes of regulation: regulation stricto sensu, co-regulation and self-regulation. It is a pioneering study that systematically maps policy variables and governance instruments across each mode. Through selected case studies of major online platforms, the study innovatively examines how public and private regulatory frameworks interact, overlap and sometimes conflict in shaping platform and content governance across the regulatory continuum.
A timely and rigorous analysis, this study critically reflects on the Digital Services Act’s transformative impact on platform accountability and digital governance. It demonstrates that the two dimensions – Regulation “of” platforms and Regulation “by” platforms – should not be viewed as a dichotomy between public and private governance but as part of a dynamic, multi-actor regulatory process in the governance of the digital landscape.
See full thesis.
Supervisors
Sandra Friberg, Associate ProfessorAnna-Sara Lind, ProfessorMagnus Strand, Associate Professor
Opponent
Mika Viljanen, Professor

Book Launch for How That Robot Made Me Feel
2025-10-09 10:00 - 11:00 | KAW Lounge, Stockholm School of Ecnomics
Whether robots, or the artificial intelligence (AI) that powers them, can feel emotions is a topic of ongoing debate. It is a familiar theme in science fiction and a frequent headline in tech development. Just as important is the question: How do we humans emotionally respond to robots? And how do those responses influence the way robots are designed today?
The book “How That Robot Made Me Feel” is an edited collection that explores what emotions we have when encountering robots, how we react emotionally to them in different contexts, and why these emotional responses are so important.

Do robots, or the AI that is driving them, have emotions? That is a hotly debated topic—both in science fiction, where such assertions are a staple of the narrative, and in tech development, where it often makes headlines. But what about how we humans emotionally respond to robots? Are our emotional responses any less important when it comes to how the robots we encounter today are designed? In How That Robot Made Me Feel, Ericka Johnson asks the authors in this collection to critically examine our emotional and affective responses to robots, and what such an examination would do to the way roboticists use (or toy with) our emotions in their design decisions.
The narrative arc of this anthology follows the question of just whose emotions are being engaged through robotic interactions, why, and for what design ends. Of course, the answer is that it is our emotions that are interesting. And these emotions are not universal, despite the historically universalist paradigm of AI and how robotic emotions work. Emotions are contingent, to borrow a commonly used phrase in feminist technoscience. They are placed in space, time, and cultural context. And understanding how they are produced and engaged with will help clarify many of the political aspects of robotic interaction that are currently concealed by the shiny and allegedly neutral surfaces of robots.

The book launch takes place on October 9 at 10:00-11:00 in the KAW Lounge at Stockholm School of Economics. Lolanda Leite, Royal Institute of Technology, will introduce the book and contributing authors will be present for discussions over coffee and cake.
Welcome!

Registration
Please register below to attend the book launch.

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PhD Defense: Ethical Tensions in AI-Based Systems
2025-10-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Stockholm University, Frescativägen 6, Stockholm, 11418, Sweden
Clàudia Figueras Julián defends her doctoral thesis, “Ethical Tensions in AI-Based Systems” on 9 October at Stockholm University.
See event page.
Abstract
This thesis contributes to human-computer interaction (HCI) by exploring how various stakeholders in Swedish public organisations make sense of ethical considerations and negotiate ethical responsibility in the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems.
While high-level ethical frameworks (e.g., guidelines that emphasise principles such as fairness, transparency, and accountability) are intended to guide AI ethics application, prior research reveals that practitioners frequently struggle to translate abstract frameworks into concrete actions within design and use contexts. Responding to calls in HCI for situated, empirical approaches to studying AI ethics in practice, this thesis investigates how stakeholders engage in ethical reasoning through three interconnected dimensions: how they reflect and make sense of ethical considerations, the ethical tensions they encounter when working with AI-based systems, and how ethical responsibility is described and negotiated across AI-based systems’ life cycles.
Drawing on two qualitative case studies combining semi-structured interviews and a multi-stakeholder focus group, the thesis develops an empirically grounded account of stakeholders’ ethical reasoning processes.
The analysis draws attention to three cross-study themes. First, stakeholders make sense of ethical considerations in situ, shaped by organisational roles, institutional demands, and technological constraints, rather than direct application of abstract frameworks. Second, ethical tensions are not simply obstacles but catalysts that prompt ethical reasoning, surfacing hidden assumptions and conflicts that require stakeholders to renegotiate responsibilities. Third, the negotiation of responsibility is made and remade among actors, shifting across the AI-based system’s life cycle in response to tensions and contextual constraints.
Together, these findings show that ethical reasoning in public sector AI work is best understood as contextual, relational, and evolving – taking shape through the interplay of sense-making, handling tension, and doing responsibilities. In doing so, this thesis invites more reflective (embracing tensions as triggers for ethical reflection), relational (attuned to the shared and negotiated nature of responsibility), and practice-oriented (grounded in the situated ways stakeholders make sense of ethical considerations in everyday work) approaches to Responsible AI.
See full thesis.
Supervisors
Chiara Rossitto, Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, Stockholm UniversityTeresa Cerratto-Pargman, Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, Stockholm University
Opponent
Christopher Frauenberger, Interdisciplinary Transformation University, Austria

AI for Humanity and Society 2025
2025-10-09 13:00 - 2025-10-10 17:00
About

Keynotes

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The Great TransformAItion
Collaboration, Work, and Agency in an AI World

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in the fabric of society, we are entering a period of profound transformation — of how we work, collaborate, and define human agency. AI is no longer simply a tool; it is a force that is reshaping institutions, labor, relationships, and the foundations of decision-making across every sector. This raises critical questions: How do we ensure that this transformation enhances human dignity and social cohesion? What new forms of collaboration — between humans, machines, and institutions—are emerging, and how can they be designed to promote justice, autonomy, and collective resilience?
This year’s conference, The Great Transformation: Collaboration, Work and Agency in the Age of AI, will explore how individuals, organizations, and societies can navigate this rapidly evolving landscape. It invites researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and civil society to come together to reflect on the new dynamics of power and participation in an AI-driven world. Through panels, keynotes and discussions, we will engage with topics such as algorithmic labor, augmented decision-making, digital justice, and the evolving nature of expertise and human value.
The WASP-HS AI for Humanity and Society 2025 conference offers a space not only to examine the challenges, but to imagine new pathways forward — where AI can be a catalyst for inclusive innovation, democratic collaboration, and meaningful work. We warmly welcome you to join us in Stockholm at the Stockholm School of Economics (Sveavägen 65, Stockholm) on October 9–10, 2025.

Keynotes

Juliane ReineckeProfessor of Management Studies,University of Oxford

Stewarding the Future Commons: Imagining Desirable Futures in an Age of AIThe accelerating advance of artificial intelligence raises profound questions about humanity’s collective future. Will AI amplify crises of inequality, climate breakdown, and democratic erosion, or help us reimagine more just, sustainable, and inclusive societies? In this keynote, Juliane argues that how we conceptualize and govern the future is itself a contested commons. Building on recent work on prospective theorizing and stewardship of the future commons, she propose that imagining desirable futures requires more than forecasting trends. It demands acts of disciplined imagination, normative commitments, and collective responsibility for how today’s practices structure long-term possibilities. Juliane will introduce a framework for navigating diverse and often conflicting modes of future making, and suggest principles of “speculative rigour” that keep our theorizing both imaginative and grounded. In doing so, she aims to develop a conceptual vocabulary that enables interdisciplinary scholarship to critically engage with AI as a site of future-making.

Gillian TettProvost of King’s College,University of Cambridge

Why One AI needs another AI (anthropology intelligence) to Make Sense of the Modern WorldAI has emerged from the field of quantitative analysis and is often discussed with awe in those terms. However there is an urgent need to use social analysis to make sense of how it is impacting our lives and how humans are framing it. Nothing illustrates this better than the question of how we do – or do not – trust AI, and some fascinating new research from Jigsaw and other groups suggests that we are framing this entirely wrong, particularly for Gen Z. Most notably, AI is entering our lines through lateral networks of distributed trust and needs to be framed in that manner.

Conference Program
Conference program may be subject to change.

Thursday, October 9
12:00 Registration opens
13:00–13:20 Welcome and introductionMagnus Mähring, the Erling Persson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation, Stockholm School of EconomicsChristofer Edling, Professor of Sociology, WASP-HS Program DirectorLisen Selander, Professor of Information Systems, University of Gothenburg
13:20–13:50 Keynote and Q&A “AI Innovation and Societal Resilience in a Multipolar World” (hybrid over Zoom)Gillian Tett, Provost of King’s College, Cambridge
14:00–14:30 Living with AlgorithmsSebastian Krakowski, Assistant Professor, House of Innovation, Stockholm School of EconomicsMia Liinason, Professor of Gender Studies, Lund UniversityLisa Irenius, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, Svenska DagbladetModerator: Magnus Mähring, the Erling Persson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics
14:35–14:55 Fika and roundtable discussions
15:00–15:30 Algorithmic Augmentation and Expertise in OrganizationsElmira van den Broek, Assistant Professor, House of Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics Marleen Huysman, Professor, School of Business and Education, Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamPanos Constantinides, Professor of Digital Innovation, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of ManchesterArmin Catovic, Head of AI, Aloi and Vice Chair, Stockholm AI Moderator: Anna Essén, Associate Professor, House of Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics
15:35–15:55 Fika and roundtable discussions
16:00–16:30 Algorithmic (In)justicesOlgerta Tona, Associate Professor, Department of Applied IT, University of GothenburgCharlotta Kronblad, Postdoctor, Informatics department Gothenburg University and Research Fellow, House of Innovation, Stockholm School of EconomicsStefan Larsson, Associate Professor in Technology and Social Change, Lund UniversityBinette Seck, Tech Entrepreneur, Chairperson Microsoft AI CouncilModerator: Lisen Selander, Professor of Information Systems, University of Gothenburg
16:35–16:55 Fika and roundtable discussions
17:00–17:15 Wrap up and closingMagnus Mähring, the Erling Persson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics
17:20–18:30 Mingle and Art Tour sessionsEvening mingle with drinks and light bites. The Art Tour will take place at Stockholm School of Economics.

Friday, October 10
08:30 Registration and coffee and tea
09:00–9:05 Welcome and openingLisen Selander, Professor of Information Systems, University of GothenburgChristofer Edling, Professor of Sociology, WASP-HS Program Director
09:05–09:45 Keynote and Q&A “Stewarding the Future Commons: Imagining Desirable Futures in an Age of AI”Juliane Reinecke, Professor of Management Studies, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
09:45–10:35 Lightning Talks – WASP-HS Research Project and ResultsTeresa Cerratto-Pargman, Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, Stockholm UniversityNicolette Lakemond, Professor in Industrial Management, Linköping UniversityDonal Casey, Senior Lecturer in European Law, Uppsala UniversityPontus Strimling, Professor of Analytical Sociology, IAS and Research Leader, Institute for Futures StudiesJonas Tallberg, Professor of Political Science, Stockholm UniversityModerator: Helena Lindgren, Professor in Computer Science, Co-Director of WASP-HS, Umeå University
10.35–10.55 Coffee break
10:55–11.45 Lightning Talks – New Research ClustersMartin Ebers, WASP-HS Guest Professor, Örebro UniversityAnne Kaun, Professor of Media and Communication studies, Södertörn UniversityAnna Foka, Professor in Digital Humanities, Uppsala UniversityOskar Nordström Skans, Professor of Economics, Uppsala UniversityEva Erman, Professor of Political Science, Stockholm UniversityModerator: Christofer Edling, Professor of Sociology, WASP-HS Program Director, Lund University
11:45-12:00 Closing wordsMagnus Mähring, the Erling Persson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation, Stockholm School of EconomicsChristofer Edling, Professor of Sociology, WASP-HS Program DirectorHannah Pelikan, Postdoctor, Department of Culture and Society, Linköping University

Registration
Registration is closed.

In the afternoon of October 10, participants are welcome to attend Dialogues on Digital, a half-day conference hosted by the Stockholm School of Economics — House of Innovation. With its focus on how digital innovation is reshaping what it means to be human, the event offers a continuation of the conversations from WASP-HS AI for Humanity and Society — especially for those interested in the societal and personal dimensions of digital transformation.

Conference Chairs

Magnus Mähring

the Erling Persson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics

Lisen Selander

Professor of Information Systems at the University of Gothenburg

Workshop: Girls Just Want to Have Sc(AI)ence—Part 4
2025-10-10 10:00 - 11:00
Critical Robotic Dialogues: Exploring Robots in the Present and Future
Please note that this event is independently organized by a WASP-HS researcher and not the WASP-HS Program Office.
While feminist approaches to technoscience are getting increasing attention, fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Human-Robot Interaction and Human-Computer Interaction are still male-dominated. Similarly, new technologies, from assistive robots to chatbots, are often imbued with the same intrinsic gender and ethnic stereotypes and biases present in our Western society. An increasing number of scholars have thus called for a feminist reboot, praising more ethical, sustainable and inclusive research practices and epistemologies in the hope of better technology. Our workshop series “Girls just want to have Sc(AI)ence” aims to foster knowledge and discussions on critical and feminist approaches to technology by engaging scholars working with AI from a variety of disciplines -from data science to art, political studies and philosophy, and invite them to reflect and imagine together how to use tools and theories from critical and feminist studies to implement more thcial, sustainable and inclusive technology-related practices and research.
When & where: 10 October 2025 at 10:00–11:00, online only via Zoom.
This event is sponsored by WASP HS and Lund university profile area Natural and Artificial Cognition
Read more about the workshop series.
Invited Speakers
– Iolanda Leite, KTH Stockholm, Division of Robotics, Perception and Learning
– Katie Winkle, Uppsala University, Department of Information Technology; Vi3; Human Machine Interaction
Description
Featured in the NAC Week and part of the Girls in Sc(AI)ence seminar series. This seminar invites participants to critically reflect on the role of robots in contemporary society and their possible futures.
Speaker Bios
Iolanda Leite is an Associate Professor at the Division of Robotics, Perception and Learning at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on developing robots that can capture, learn from, and respond appropriately to the subtle dynamics that characterize real-world situations, allowing for truly efficient and engaging interactions with people
Katie Winkle is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, where she is part of the Vi3 division and the Human–Machine Interaction group. Her research explores socially responsible and participatory approaches to human–robot interaction at the individual level as well as at the family, group, community and societal levels.
Registration
To participate is free of charge. Registration for online lecture.

Dialogmöte: Utmaningar för kulturen och kulturskaparna i AI-utvecklingen
2025-11-04 13:30 - 16:00
Foto: Dipqi Ghozali

Om

Program

Registrering

Mer

Välkommen till ett dynamiskt kunskapsutbyte där vi sätter strålkastarljuset på den snabbt växande AI-utvecklingen och dess påverkan på kulturskapare. I takt med att generativ AI tar plats i kreativa processer uppstår både nya möjligheter och brännande frågor. Hur skyddar vi upphovsrätt och konstnärlig integritet när algoritmer tränas på mänskligt skapande? Vad händer med uppdrag och arbetstillfällen när maskiner kan skapa på egen hand? Och hur försvarar vi våra personligheter i en tid av deepfakes och digital användning av bland annat röster och utseenden?
Detta möte är en del av WASP-HS möteskoncept för Dialogmöten som tidigare kallats Community Reference Meetings. Eventet hålls i samarbete med KLYS. KLYS utgör en samlad röst för Sveriges yrkesverksamma kulturskapare och företräder genom sina 14 medlemsorganisationer nästan 30.000 kulturskapare inom olika konstområden såsom bild- och form, musik, scen och film, litteratur och journalistik. KLYS främsta syfte är att förbättra villkoren för dessa yrkesgrupper och därmed stärka konstnärlig frihet och kvalitet, samt kulturell mångfald.
Läs mer om KLYS och KLYS arbete på deras hemsida.

Program
13.30–13.40 Välkomnande och introduktionUlrica Källén, verksamhetschef KLYSKatja de Vries, universitetslektor i offentlig rätt, Uppsala Universitet
13:40-14:40 KeynotesJosefine Engström, Ordförande i Svenska Tecknare – “Hur kulturarbetares arbetsförhållanden påverkas i kölvattnet av generativ AI”Thorbjörn Öström, Advokat och grundare av Öström Advokat, konsult KLYS – ”AI och den kreativa sektorn – juridiska utmaningar”Johan Axhamn, Docent, Lunds universitet – ”Upphovsrätt och AI: Licensiering, ersättning, upphovsmannaskap och plagiat”Andreas Kotsios, Universitetslektor i Europarätt, Uppsala universitet, WASP-HS – ”En rättvis marknad för data – ett rättssociologiskt perspektiv”
14.40–14.50 – Paus
14.50–15.35 – DiskussionsgrupperUpphovsrätt – Rundabordsansvarig: Katarina Renman Claeson, Förbundsjurist, Konstnärernas RiksorganisationLicensiering – Rundabordsansvarig: Åsa Anesäter, jurist, Författarförbundet & Claes Reimertz, Business Development Manager, StimPersonlighetsrätt – Rundabordsansvarig: Jakob Malmlöf, jurist, fackförbunden Svenska Musikerförbundet och Sveriges Yrkesmusikersförbund
15.35–15.55 – Avslutning och sammanfattningReflektioner och insikter från gruppdiskussionerna
15.55–16.00 – Tack och avslut
Notera att detta event hålls på svenska. Programmet uppdateras löpande

Medverkande
Keynotes

Josefine EngströmOrdförande, Svenska tecknare

Thorbjörn Öström, Advokat, grundare av Öström Advokat

Johan Axhamn, Docent, Lunds universitet

Andreas Kotsios, Universitetslektor i Europarätt, Uppsala universitet

Rundabordsansvariga

Katarina Renman Claeson, Förbundsjurist, Konstnärernas Riksorganisation

Åsa Anesäter, Jurist, Författarförbundet

Claes Reimertz, Business Development Manager, Stim

Jakob Malmlöf, Jurist, fackförbunden Svenska Musikerförbundet och Sveriges Yrkesmusikersförbund

Dialogmötesvärdar

Ulrica Källén, Verksamhetschef, KLYS

Katja de Vries, Universitetslektor i offentlig rätt, Uppsala Universitet

Registrering för detta event har stängt.

PhD Defense: Multisensory Interactions with Biophilic Flying Robots
2025-11-10 09:00 - 12:00
Ziming Wang defends his doctoral thesis, “Multisensory Interactions with Biophilic Flying Robots” at Chalmers University of University.
See event page.
Abstract
The relationship between nature and humanity has evolved throughout history and across technological epochs. This thesis advances the hypothesis that integrating natural characteristics into robot design can enrich human–computer interaction (HCI) by drawing on our deep-rooted familiarity with and affinity for the natural world. To investigate this proposition, I examined close-range interactions with flying robots under different proxemic conditions, employing a mixed-methods approach.
The thesis comprises four empirical studies, each probing a different pathway through which biophilic elements might shape human perception, interaction, and imagination. Study I examined how overlaying natural soundscapes such as birdsong and rainfall affected the perception of a noisy flying robot (N = 56). Study II explored nature narratives, particularly the conceptualization of indoor drones as animal-like companions through function framing (N = 60). Study III compared experiences with a bioinspired flapping-wing drone—foregrounding organic forms and biomimetic movement—against a similarly sized quadcopter (N = 56). Study IV staged a speculative dinner theater in which participants (N = 6) engaged with the provocative scenario of eating a biohybrid drone, highlighting hybrid living components as a design material. Across these studies, variations in spatial proximity (from very near to relatively far) and temporal framing (from near- to far-future scenarios) were integrated to reveal how context shapes engagement and experiences.
Collectively, the findings show that nature-inspired design elements can foster intuitive, relatable, and emotionally resonant interactions with flying robots, while also surfacing ethical and practical challenges. This thesis contributes empirical insights into how people respond to biophilic flying robots and argues for moving beyond surface-level biomimicry toward intentional, context-aware integration of natural elements. By treating nature not merely as aesthetic inspiration but as a lens for crafting meaningful, embodied interactions, we can design technologies that resonate more deeply with human experience—particularly in close-range, affective, and everyday settings.
See full thesis.
Supervisor
Morten Fjeld, Professor
Pedro Cardoso-Leite, Associate Professor
Opponent
Joseph Paradiso, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Workshop: Girls Just Want to Have Sc(AI)ence—Part 5
2025-11-17 12:30 - 15:00 | Lund University, LUX, Helgonavägen 3, Lund, 22362, Sweden
Reimagining the Politics of AI: Co-Creating Tools to Confront Gender-Related Violence
Please note that this event is independently organized by a WASP-HS researcher and not the WASP-HS Program Office.
Such of today’s AI development is driven by large-scale models that demand vast datasets, compute resources and invisible human labour — often reinforcing the very inequalities they claim to solve. But what might AI look like if we built it differently? Drawing from the participatory, feminist work of the Data Against Feminicide project, this talk will explore how we can shift the politics of knowledge and data production in AI development towards non-extractive approaches that centre context, collaboration and care.
Data Against Feminicide is a collaborative research and design project focused on supporting the work of civil society organisations and grassroots activists who monitor gender-related violence and feminicide — the gender-related killing of cisgender and transgender women and girls. Across the world, many activists and grassroots groups produce their own data to draw attention to this systemic, lethal violence, hold public institutions accountable, support collective action and remember lives lost.Since 2019, our interdisciplinary team has worked with activists and civil society groups across the Americas and in Sub-Saharan Africa to co-design machine learning tools that support activists’ existing data production strategies rather than replace their labour. This work has included participatory data annotation and model evaluation with attention to the socio-spatial and ethical complexities of defining and detecting feminicide across contexts.
The talk will reflect on what this work reveals about the politics of AI, showing how choices about who is involved, how technology is developed, and to what ends directly shape its social impact. It will argue for a feminist data epistemology that moves from centralised, extractive data practices towards collaborative forms of knowledge production; from abstract, generalising models towards bespoke tools attentive to local and contextual difference; and from harmful automation towards more reflexive, caring engagements that question not only what machine learning can do but whether it should be applied at all.
Using concrete examples from the project, the talk will also explore the tensions of co-producing AI: how such tools can alleviate activist labour, where biases remain and what it means to democratise technical know-how. Ultimately, it will invite researchers and practitioners to rethink how AI can be designed with and for communities on the frontlines of social justice.
Practical Information
The workshop is arranged in a hybrid format on 18 March, 2025– 12.30 to 13.20: Hybrid lecture on zoom– 12.30 to 15.30: On-site lecture plus workshop in SOL:A129b, Helgonabacken 12, Lund, Sweden
Invited speaker: Ericka Johnson, Professor at Linköping University
Programme 17 November
13.00 – 14.00 Lecture (hybrid)
14.00 Coffee break
14.15 Workshop session
Registration
To participate is free of charge. Registration for online lecture or for both lecture and workshop on-site in Lund at ai.lu.se.

Study Abroad Tips and Tricks
2025-11-24 16:00 - 17:15
Interested in going abroad for a semester? WASP-HS PhD students are welcome to this session where your fellow PhD students who have been abroad can share their ideas and thoughts about their experience.
Please join November 24, at 16:00 – 17:15.
Zoom link: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/65780063878

Generously funded by the Wallenberg Foundations.

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PhD Defense: Mapping Small Water Channels Using Machine Learning
2025-12-05 08:30 - 12:00
Mariana Busarello defends her doctoral thesis “Mapping small water channels using machine learning” on December 5 at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
Abstract
Boreal landscapes are shaped by a dense network of natural streams, modified streams, and ditches. Together, they regulate hydrology, nutrient transport, and ecosystem function. Historically, streams were modified to accommodate log transportation, and drainage ditches were dug to improve food and timber production. Although new ditching has mostly stopped, historical changes to the drainage network still affect forestry and water management. Small streams and ditches are the landscape’s capillaries, but they remain poorly mapped despite their vital hydrological and ecological roles. This thesis addresses this gap in knowledge by developing a novel, national-scale framework for mapping small streams and ditches using high-resolution topographic data and machine learning techniques. Combining convolutional neural networks, XGBoost classification, uncertainty quantification, and drainage analyses, this work identifies geomorphological and hydrological indices that distinguish streams from ditches across the landscape. The highest-performing model shows that integrating digital elevation models with terrain indices and machine learning delineates the channel networks successfully for ditches (recall=76%, precision=88%) and moderately for natural streams (recall=58%, precision=56%). Furthermore, the produced uncertainty maps highlight low-certainty pixels from the background that can be used to potentially improve the mapping of streams in the future. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that can separate streams and ditches on maps across an entire nation. By providing consistent, scalable maps of small channels, this research supports restoration prioritization, sustainable forestry planning, and national reporting under EU and UN environmental frameworks. The methodology also offers a reproducible approach for characterizing coupled natural-artificial drainage systems in boreal and temperate regions worldwide.
See full thesis.
Supervisor
William Lidberg, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Opponent
Chris Soulsby, University of Aberdeen

AI and Society: Fresh Perspectives from PhD Graduates
2025-12-08 15:00 - 16:00
Welcome to second webinar in the AI and Society: Fresh Perspectives form PhD Graduates series! Join us as newly minted PhD students from WASP-HS Graduate School discuss their insights into the implications and entanglements of AI for society and humanity in a series of lightning talks.
Program
“Conflicting Aims of Welfare Technology” Maria Arnelid, Linköping University
“The End of a Platform Exeptionalism”Silvia A Caretta, Copenhagen Business School / Women in AI
“How to Build Nice Robots”Jakob Stenseke, Lund University
“Transparency in Trustworthy AI”Kasia Söderlund, Lund University
Registration
Register by 7 December to receive a zoom link.
Register here.

AI Futures: Navigating Ethics, Law, and Heritage
2025-12-16 13:15 - 15:00
Please note that this event is independently organized by a WASP-HS researcher and not the WASP-HS Program Office.
Can AI models be lawfully and ethically trained on copyrighted and cultural heritage–protected materials? This question has become one of the most pressing and contested issues in Sweden’s AI and cultural policy landscape. Recent debates between rights-holder organizations and public institutions have highlighted tensions around copyright, lawful access, and the future of generative AI.
This roundtable, hosted by WASP-HS Research Cluster AI Futures of Culture and Memory, WASP-HS Research Cluster The Rule of AI, the Swedish Research Council Research Environment VOICE and the Swedish Research Council Excellence Network in Ground Breaking Technologies Culture Code at Uppsala University, brings together experts from law, technology, cultural heritage, and creative sectors to foster an informed and respectful dialogue beyond polarized public discourse.
When & where: 16 December 2025, 13:15–15:00, Online event
Type: Workshop
Organiser: WASP-HS Research Cluster AI Futures of Culture and Memory, the Swedish Research Council Research Environment VOICE and the Swedish Research Council Excellence Network in Ground Breaking Technologies Culture Code at Uppsala University
Contact person: Kailin Hatlestad
Invited Speakers
– Jens Västberg – Chief Legal Officer, Riksarkivet (Swedish National Archives)– Love Börjesson – Head of KB Lab, National Library of Sweden– Josefine Engström – Chair, Svenska Tecknare (The association of Swedish illustrators and graphic designers) & Vice Chair KLYS (Swedish Joint Committee for Artistic and Literary Professionals)– Marijn Storm – Partner at Morrison Foerster, involved in GPT-NL development
Each speaker will provide a 5-minute perspective with one slide, introducing themselves and sharing their thoughts on opportunities and challenges related to AI training on cultural heritage data.
Who Should Attend?
Researchers, policymakers, cultural heritage professionals, rights-holder organizations, and anyone interested in the intersection of AI, law, and culture.
Organized by:
– Anna Foka, Professor of Digital Humanities, Uppsala University– Katja de Vries, Associate Professor in Public Law, Uppsala University
Registration
To participate is free of charge. Register here!

Knowledge Exchange: Algorithm Watch
2026-01-12 16:00 - 17:00
We welcome all WASP-HS researhers to exchange knowledge about political aspects of algorithms together with Oliver Marsh from Algorithm Watch, Berlin. The goal of the one hour workshop is to explore strategies to manage the increasingly algorithm-driven society.
Speaker
Oliver Marsh, Head of Tech Research at Algorithm Watch
About Algoritm Watch
Algorithm Watch is a non-governmental, non-profit organization based in Berlin and Zurich. We fight for a world where algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI) do not weaken justice, human rights, democracy, and sustainability but strengthen them.
Read more.
Registration
Registration is open. A zoom link will be sent out a few days prior. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *University *GDPR Agreement *I consent to having WASP-HS store my submitted information so they can respond to my inquiry.Submit

Winter Conference 2026
2026-02-04 09:00 - 2026-02-06 15:00
About

Exchange

Posters

Workshops

Program

Registration

The WASP-HS Winter Conference 2026 will be in LUX, the Joint Faculties for Humanities and Literature, at Lund University 4-6 February. It will be filled with workshops, poster presentations, and interactive discussions, with ample opportunity for networking.
Please join us and contribute to the conversation!

WASP-HS Annual Exchange
This year’s exchange is between Prof. Brit Ross Winthereik, Dr. Kash Haresamudram, Dr. Charlotte Högberg and Dr. Malin Heintz. Prof. Winthereik has recently published a new book, Digital Inclusion, a topic of great interest as we talk about the impact AI will have on society, particularly as it affects the labour market, as it trains on some people’s knowledge, and as AI techniques manifest in pseudo-sapiens.

Speakers

Brit Ross Wintereik

Professor, Technology and Business Studies, IT University of Copenhagen

Kashyap Haresamudram

Doctoral Researcher, Department of Technology and Society, Lund University

Charlotte Högberg

PhD in Technology and Society, Lund University

Malin Heintz

PhD in Economics, Arbetsförmedlingen

Poster sessions for all
Come and see the most recent PhD project results and give your feedback and contribute with your insights.
Please download and use the poster template for the poster session.Download poster template (.pptx)

Workshops for PhD Students
Bias and Prejudices in AI Training Data
Smashing the cloud with a hammer: Exploring AI through rejection
History a la ChatGPT
AI experts meet AI narratives on Bluesky
Also open for WASP-HS researchers:
AI in Higher Education – limitations and risks

Program

Wednesday, February 4

Time

Venue

PhD students

Senior researchers

9:00—11.30

TBDC214

Workshop

Workshop

10:00—11:30

Coffee

Coffee

11:30—13:00

Outside of LUX auditorium

Poster presentations

Poster presentations

13:00—15:00

LUX Auditorium

WASP-HS Annual Exchange

WASP-HS Annual Exchange

15:00—15:20

Outside of LUX Auditorium

Coffee

Coffee

15:20—18:00

C214, B336

How to write a post doc application
In room C214

Posters that Don’t Suck: From Awkward to Awesome!
In room B336

19:00

Conference dinner with PhD certificate ceremony for all of WASP-HS

Thursday, February 5

Time

Venue

PhD students

Senior researchers

10:00—12.00

Poster sessions by WASP-HS PhD students

Poster sessions by WASP-HS PhD students

12:00—13.00

Lunch

Lunch

13:00—15.00

Supervisor meeting

13:00—16.00

Self-organized workshops

Friday, February 6

Time

Venue

PhD students

Senior researchers

09:30—12.00

Oral presentations by PhD students

Oral presentations by PhD students

Registration
Open for WASP-HS PhD students and WASP-HS researchers. Please register no later than January 16 2026.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *University *I am *A WASP-HS PhD StudentA WASP-HS ResearcherOther, please specifyPlease let us know your connection to WASP-HS *Title of your WASP-HS project *Name of Supervisor *FirstLastSupervisor's email *I need accommodation: *No I have my own accommodation3-4 February4-5 February5-6 FebruaryRooms are booked at Elite Hotel Ideon. If you travel with partner and/or family, please choose number of nights above and contact graduate.school@wasp-hs.org for additional assistance.PhD student poster presentationsI understand that *I need to book printing of poster at my University's printing agency to ensure that it is ready in time.The poster should be a standing format, maximum size A0I should use the WASP-HS poster templateWorkshopsChoose a workshop! Please rank the five choices: your most preferred as '1st choice' and the least preferred as 5th choice. Read more about the different workshops here: https://wasp-hs.org/event/winter-conference-2026/WorkshopAI in higher education is open both to senior researchers and PhD students in WASP-HS. PhD students have 5 workshops to choose from which is why we have a priority 1-5 🙂Bias and Prejudices in AI Training Data *First ChoiceSecond ChoiceThird ChoiceFourth ChoiceFifth ChoiceI am not joining a workshopModerator: Sarah de HeerSmashing the cloud with a hammer: Exploring AI through rejection *First ChoiceSecond ChoiceThird ChoiceFourth ChoiceFifth ChoiceSixth ChoiceModerators: Martin Lindstam and Victor LarssonHistory a la ChatGPT *First ChoiceSecond ChoiceThird ChoiceFourth ChoiceFifth ChoiceSixth ChoiceModerators: Johannes Widegren, Nasrin Mostofian and Mo von BychelbergAI experts meet AI narratives on Bluesky *First ChoiceSecond ChoiceThird ChoiceFourth ChoiceFifth ChoiceSixth ChoiceModerators: Igor RyazanovAI in Higher Education - limitations and risks *First ChoiceSecond ChoiceThird ChoiceFourth ChoiceFifth ChoiceSixth ChoiceModerators: Valentina Fantasia and Katherine HarrisonPlease choose one of the two seminars/workshops. *Posters that Don't Suck: From Awkward to AwesomeHow to write a PostDoc application (for PhD students who are close to the finish line and for Alumni)Note! How to write a postdoc application has limited spaces available.Lunch Lunch February 4Lunch February 5Conference dinner February 4 *I want to participateI don't want to participateLimited spaces available. Please register if you plan to attend. To minimize food waste, your registration is binding and cannot be cancelled 7 days prior to the event.Social activity for the PhD students February 5 at 18.00- *Yay, I want to participate!I don't want to participateLimited spaces available. Please register if you plan to attend. To minimize food waste, your registration is binding and cannot be cancelled 7 days prior to the event.Supervisor meeting February 5 13-16 *I want to participateI don't want to participateLimited spaces available. Please register if you plan to attend. To minimize food waste, your registration is binding and cannot be cancelled 7 days prior to the event.I have dietary restrictions *NoYesPlease specify *Additional infoPlease let us know if you have any special needs.GDPR Agreement *I consent to having this website store my submitted information so that WASP-HS can respond to my inquiry.Photos *I acknowledge that there will be photos taken on site.Contact Eva Sjöstrand and Hanna Nordin if you don't want to be in any pictures.Submit

Research Opportunities at the Intersection of Society, Life Sciences, and Technology
2026-05-07 09:00 - 2026-05-08 17:00
A Joint Conference between DDLS, WASP and WASP-HS
Uniting Sweden’s life science, machine learning and artificial intelligence communities, we welcome researchers from all disciplines to explore new research opportunities in a changing world.
Participants will have the opportunity to network, be inspired by excellent international keynote speakers, and take part in the latest research in Sweden. In addition to plenary keynotes, the program will offer a panel discussion, a poster session and ample time to mingle.
Practical Details
DatesMay 7-8, 2026
VenueUppsala Konsert & Kongress
Program
TBD
Background
Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP), the SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS), and Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society (WASP-HS) are collaborating through joint research projects and events with the ultimate goal of solving ground-breaking research questions across disciplines.

AI for Humanity and Society 2026
2026-11-10 12:00 - 2026-11-11 12:15 | Stångs Mjärdevi, Linköping Science Park, Teknikringen 7, Linköping, Sweden
About

Keynotes

Program

Registration

More

Robots and Autonomous Systems in Everyday Life

How can we live amidst and with robots? How do they impact human work and our understanding of social relationships and societal values? Complex organizational work is needed to make robot fleets run smoothly and bring forward societal concerns about care, safety and responsibility. Join the WASP-HS conference AI for Humanity and Society 2026 themed “Robots and Autonomous Systems in Everyday Life”.

Robots and autonomous systems have left the laboratories and are now entering homes, schools, hospitals and public spaces. They are becoming part of everyday life. Being a material and mobile manifestation of artificial intelligence, robots raise new questions about autonomy and agency in relationships with individuals.
This year’s conference, Robots and Autonomous Systems in Everyday Life, will explore how individuals, organizations, and societies are impacted when robots enter our daily life, shedding light on how humans work to make autonomous systems at home in the world. WASP-HS welcomes researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and civil society to come together to make sense of emerging developments and to discuss agendas for humane futures with autonomous systems and AI. Through panels, keynotes and an interactive reception, we will engage with topics such as coordination and interaction with robots as a form of embodied AI, robots in education, regulatory and policy issues related to autonomous systems, as well as the roles robots and autonomous systems may play in care and crisis.
The WASP-HS AI for Humanity and Society 2026 conference fosters human-centered perspectives on robots and autonomous systems, offering a space to examine emerging challenges and to jointly imagine possible futures — where robots and autonomous systems can foster human relationships, contribute to inclusive public spaces, and stimulate meaningful work. We warmly welcome you to join us in Linköping-Mjärdevi at Linköping Science Park (Teknikringen 7) on November 10–11, 2026.

Keynotes

Steve Benford

Dunford Professor of Computer Science, University of Nottingham And UKRI Turing AI World Leading Research Fellow

Janet Vertesi

Associate Professor, Princeton University and Associate Director of the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education

Tuesday, November 10
12:00 Registration opens
13:00–13:15 Welcome and introduction
13:15–14:00 Panel 1: Coordinating human and robot bodies
14:15–15:00 Panel 2: Educational robots and AI
15:00–15:30 Coffee Break
15:30–16:15 Opening keynote: Steve Benford
16:30–18:30 Interactive Reception

Wednesday, November 11
08:30 Registration opens
09:00–9:15 Welcome and opening
09:15–10:00 Panel 3: Policy and regulation of robots

10:00–10:15 Coffee Break
10:30–11.15 Panel 4: Robots and AI in care and crisis

11:15-12:00 Closing keynote: Janet Vertesi
12:00-12:15 Closing and announcement of 2027 conference

Preliminary Conference Program
Conference program may be subject to change.

Registration
Registration opens in spring 2026

Conference Chairs

Hannah Pelikan

Assistant Professor at Linköping University and a Pro Futura Scientia Fellow at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study

Airi Lampinen

Associate Professor in Human–Computer Interaction at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University, Sweden
