PhD Defense – Proactive Balancing: AI-driven Video-based Active Assisted Living Technologies and Balancing of Interests
2025-05-06 10:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Stockholm) | Stockholm University, Lecture Room 2, Södra huset A, Vån 3, Universitetsvägen 10 A and online via Zoom
Maksymilian M. Kuźmicz, defends his doctoral thesis “Proactive Balancing: AI-driven Video-based Active Assisted Living Technologies and Balancing of Interests”, at Stockholm University.
Abstract
This thesis aims to propose a method of balancing and identify appropriate legal tools of balancing in the context of AI-driven video-based Active Assisted Living (AAL) technologies. AAL represents a suite of technologies integrated into computer systems that leverage AI to assist older adults in their daily lives, enabling them to live independently and remain active. While numerous studies assert that AAL technologies keep improving their ability to assist individuals in need, this optimistic prospect must be juxtaposed to several concerns. These concerns are often conflicts of interests, i.e., situations in which pursuing one interest may hinder another. Conflicts of interest can be approached in many ways, one of which is balancing. That presents an issue of balancing as a conflict management tool in the AAL context. In the legal context, the problem is more specific: What is balancing, and how could it be used to prevent or solve conflict? Consequently, the main subject of this book is structuring balancing as a legal method of conflict management in the AAL context. The investigation focuses on European law and AAL deployed at private homes. The thesis begins by identifying stakeholders and their primary interests. Next, the work proposes to merge the risk identification method with a dogmatic analysis of law to provide a method of identification of potential conflicts. Subsequently, the book presents two main approaches to balancing recognised in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union: proportionality and compromising. Each method is analysed and presented in a structured way, tailored to the AAL context. Building on these findings, a catalogue of legal tools for balancing is constructed. Finally, the thesis examines the possibility of an integrated model of balancing, proposes how it could be constructed, and evaluates its potential role as risk and quality management systems required by the AI Act. This thesis makes contributions to the field of legal sciences by examining the concept of balance, methods of balancing,and generating a catalogue of balancing tools. Moreover, it advances the research on AAL technologies by proposing a novel stakeholders’ classification that merges analytical categorisations with those grounded in legal frameworks and identifying balancing tools applicable in the AAL context. Furthermore, it proposes possible models of risk and quality management systems under the AI Act.
Read full thesis.
Supervisor
Peter Wahlgren, Professor
Lianne Colona, Professor
Opponent
Professor Tobias Mahler, University of Oslo, Norway.

Workshop: Girls Just Want to Have Sc(AI)ence – Part 2
2025-05-08 10:00 - 12:30
Pushing boundaries of research design: Future Making through (re)mixing creative methods
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 ethcial, sustainable and inclusive technology-related practices and research.
Practical Information
The workshop is arranged in a hybrid format on May 8, 2025:
– 10.00 to 10:45: Hybrid lecture on zoom – 11:00 to 12.30: On-site lecture and workshop, Lund, Sweden.
Invited speaker: Annette Markham, Professor at Department of Media and Culture at Utrecht University, Netherlands.
Program
10.00 – 10.45: Keynote by Annette Markham, Professor at Department of Media and Culture at Utrecht University, Netherlands: hybrid. How can we create methodological mindsets and sensibilities that give rise to alternate futures? How can critical perspectives, reflexivity, creativity, and data science co-mingle?
In this talk and workshop, Professor Markham focuses on how to dismantle and then reconfigure disciplinary traditions for research design. The mindset of remix is one way to consider how methods are not just tools, but make worlds. This talk encourages researchers to reflect on how all scientific practices embody fundamentally playful, inventive, and generative forms of interrogation and embracing less restrictive frameworks for engagement and analysis can form novel pathways through wicked polycrisis. To build the case for pushing boundaries, Markham draws on her work conducting algorithmic literacy through arts-based community engagement as well as her work conducting close level sociological analysis of human-AI interactions.
(Coffee break)
11.00-12:30: Workshop session: on-site.
Registration and more information
Please note that the exact location will be announced soon. Register for the workshop here.
Read more about the workshop here.

Exploring Human and Social Challenges in Data-Driven Life Sciences
2025-05-13 08:00 - 2025-05-15 17:00 | Sigtunastiftelsen
The rapid development of data-driven approaches in the life sciences is transforming how we understand biological systems, develop treatments, and make healthcare decisions. While these advances promise insights and possibilities, they also raise questions about accountability, interpretability, and the changing relations between experts, technologies, and society.

These developments demand careful consideration of questions such as: How do we ensure technological advances align with scientific and societal values and needs? Who benefits from these transformations, and who might be left behind? How do we maintain human agency and ethical oversight in increasingly automated research processes? Addressing these challenges requires sustained dialogue between life sciences and humanities/social sciences perspectives.

Background
The workshop is part of a broader initiative funded by the Wallenberg Foundations to create collaborations between humanities/social sciences research and the data-driven life sciences. WASP-HS specializes in researching the human and societal aspects of AI and autonomous systems, including ethical, economic, social, and cultural implications. DDLS focuses on four strategic research areas: precision medicine and diagnostics, biodiversity and evolution, epidemiology and biology of infection, and cell and molecular biology.

The collaboration between these programs aims to increase understanding of how AI, autonomous systems, and data-driven methodologies in the life sciences shape both science and society, and aims to promote research that has a clear impact for both programs. This interdisciplinary approach is crucial for addressing the complex challenges at the intersection of technological advancement and societal needs.

Objectives
– Identify key societal challenges in data-driven life sciences– Promote dialogue between diverse research disciplines– Explore how technological advances influence science and society– Develop new collaborative research initiative
Target Participants
We welcome 25-30 participants from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to:– Social scientists and humanities scholars– Life scientists– Healthcare professionals– Bioinformaticians and data scientists
Participants will be selected to ensure a balanced representation of disciplines and perspectives. Both individual researchers and small teams (2-3 people) from the same institution are welcome to apply. Early-career researchers are particularly encouraged to participate
Expected Outcomes
– A comprehensive mapping of key social and human challenges in data-driven life sciences– Formation of new interdisciplinary collaborations– Written documentation of insights and proposals
Practical Information
Dates: 13-15 May 2025Venue: SigtunastiftelsenCost: No registration fee. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered for accepted participantsApplication Deadline: 24 March 2025Please note that participants of this workshop will be selected based on this application. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis..
How to Apply
Submit your application through https://www.lyyti.in/Sandpit_wokshop_2025 :Brief statement of motivation (max 500 words)Short bio highlighting relevant experienceOptional: Potential challenge or opportunity you’d like to explore
Travel and Accommodation
Accommodation will be arranged at SigtunastiftelsenTravel booking instructions will be provided upon acceptance
Contact
Ulrika.wallenquist@scilifelab.se

Webinar: The Digital Prior Restraint: Can Freedom of Expression Survive Upload Filters?
2025-06-02 15:00 | Online via Zoom
Please note that this event is independently organized by a WASP-HS researcher and not the WASP-HS Program Office.
Across Europe, automated upload filters are increasingly used by social media platforms to screen content before it’s published—a practice that raises important questions about freedom of expression. These technologies are used as a measure to effectively limit the dissemination of terrorist content, of publications infringing copyright, among others.
Whether used voluntarily or mandated by law, these technologies can amount to a form of prior restraint, potentially limiting speech before it even reaches the public.
This webinar delves into the legal and human rights implications of upload filters under EU law. We’ll explore how both mandatory and voluntary filtering mechanisms are regulated by EU secondary legislation, and how these rules interact with fundamental rights protections. Drawing on European Court of Human Rights case law, the discussion will also highlight the procedural and institutional safeguards needed to prevent overreach, including the rights to a fair trial and to an effective remedy.
This webinar is jointly organised by Örebro University and the Robotics & AI Law Society (RAILS).
Speakers
Emmanuel Vargas Penagos, PhD researcher in AI and Law – Örebro University
Pietro Ortolani, Professor – Faculty of Law of Radboud University
Joan Barata Mir, Senior Legal Fellow – The Future of Free Speech
Silvia Caretta, Joint Doctoral Candidate in EU private law at Uppsala University & the WASP-HS Graduate School
Moderator
Martin Ebers
Read more about this webinar!

PhD Defense – Making Sense of Medical AI: The Making of AI Transparencies and Configuration of Expertise
2025-06-04
Charlotte Högberg defends her doctoral thesis, “Making Sense of Medical AI: The Making of AI Transparencies and Configuration of Expertise,” at Lund University (LTH).
Click here for a link to the event page at Lund University.
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly researched and applied for medical knowledge discovery and to support or automate clinical decision-making. The aim of this thesis is to increase the knowledge on (1) how AI experts, radiologists, and standardizers make sense of AI, in the processes of medical AI development, clinical use and standardization, and (2) how this sensemaking contributes to configurations of AI transparencies and expertise in sociotechnical entanglements. Specifically, I study the research questions: How are AI experts that are involved in developing AI for medical purposes, and medical professionals, making sense of medical AI? How is AI transparency made sense of in standardizations? And how are AI transparencies made and expertise (re)configured in these processes and sociotechnical entanglements? In studying these questions, I focus on different actors’ practices and reasoning about: ground truthing and transparency in the development of medical AI, integrating and critically engaging with AI in clinical work, and standardization of AI transparency.
Theoretically, this thesis is situated in the fields of Science and Technology Studies (STS), sociology, information science, communication studies and organization studies. An epistemological underpinning of this thesis is the entanglement of social actions and technological and material artefacts. This entails an understanding of the research topic as involving knowledge-making phenomena where the social and the technical, the human and the non-human, are co-constituted in sociotechnical assemblages. Empirically, the research is conducted in three studies using different methods. In the studies, different actors are engaged through: interviews and observations with AI experts working with AI development for medicine and healthcare, a survey study of breast radiologists’ views regarding the integration of AI in breast cancer screening, and a practice-oriented document analysis focusing standard-making of AI transparency. In total, this thesis shows how medical AI is as much a sociotechnical matter as a technical or clinical endeavor. It highlights the complexity of making sense of AI, by different actors’ reasonings and practices and through different processes. Both the role of opacity mitigating practices, as well as the challenges of making AI transparent, are made visible. Moreover, this thesis shows the importance of empirical insights, and stakeholder and context–sensitive approaches to better understand how medical AI is made sense of and how expertise is reconfigured in the process.
Supervisor
Stefan Larsson, Associate Professor of Technology and Social Change at Lund University
Kristina Lång, Associate Professor in the Division of Diagnostic Radiology, Lund University
Katja de Vries, Associate Professor of Public Law at Uppsala Universitet
Opponent
Maja Hojer Bruun, Associate Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark.

Workshop: Girls Just Want to Have Sc(AI)ence – Part 3
2025-06-04 01:00 - 15:00 | M:Teknodromen, Klas Anselms väg 6 / Ole Römers väg 1, Lund Sweden
Please note that this event is independently organized by a WASP-HS researcher and not the WASP-HS Program Office.
Creating a research network to foster woman’s partcipation in technoscience.
Topic: We Should All Be Feminists in Software Engineering
Practical Information
The workshop is arranged in a hybrid format on June 4, 2025:
– 13.00 – 14.00: Hybrid lecture on zoom.– 14.15 to 15.00 On-site lecture plus workshop, Lund Sweden.
Invited speaker: Letizia Jaccheri – Professor of Computer Science,Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Registration and more information
Register for the workshop here!
Abstract
Software engineering is a paradigm of human activities that incorporates our problem-solving capabilities, cognitive aspects, and social interaction. Software is an infrastructure of all industries and societies around the world, serving global users of all genders. However, there is a current gender gap in both the development and operations of software products and services. In 2023, internet users reached 5.3 billion, constituting 65.7% of the world population. About 70% of males and 63% of females globally use the internet, but merely 5.17% of the worldwide software developer population (27 millions) is comprised of women.

Gender studies is a growing research topic in software engineering as it re-lates to the diversity and inclusion issues for performing and healthy teamwork. Several studies have been devoted to understanding the relation between gender and software engineering.
In the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and increasing automation in software industry, the role of humans is even more emphasized across age, culture and gender. However, the engagement of genders in Software Engineering is not uniform. It is important to address the gender gap in software engineering urgently when new AI intensive software systems are being created because there is a risk that AI generated software perpetuates sexist assumptions and ideologies.

Feminism can be defined as both a theoretical perspective and a social move-ment aiming to diminish and ultimately eliminate sexist inequality and oppres-sion. The concept of intersectionality explores the interconnectedness of social differences, including race, gender, class, ethnicity, sexuality, and nationality. Feminism draws attention to the systemic power dynamics emerging from the interaction of various dimensions of social difference across individual, institu-tional, cultural, and societal spheres of influence.

The goal of this lecture is to learn about software engineering and gender research, and to discuss the state of the art about gender issues in core topics of software engineering. The lecture will provide participants with a clear definition and understanding of Software Engineering and gender and explain the origins and historical context that led to the emergence of this field. The intended audience for the lecture includes researchers, software engi-neers, policy-makers, educators as well as anyone who is interested in the inter-section of technology and social issues.

This work is partially supported by the EUGAIN COST Action CA19122 – European Network for Gender Balance in Informatics.

PhD Defense – Contextual Intelligence: Leveraging AI for Targeted Marketing
2025-06-05 10:00 - 12:00 | NAT.D.320, Umeå University
Emil Häglund defends his doctoral thesis, Contextual Intelligence: Leveraging AI for Targeted Marketing, at Umeå University.
Click here for a link to the event page at Umeå University
Abstract
As privacy concerns increase and regulation against tracking-based advertising tightens, contextual advertising, which targets ads based on webpage content rather than personal data, offers a compelling alternative. The shift towards this alternative form of ad targeting is gaining momentum thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), which significantly improve the ability to interpret and categorize online content. This thesis explores how AI can interpret online contexts and leverage them for targeted, privacy-conscious marketing. A key contribution is the development of methods for extracting opinions from text and structuring them into “opinion units”, leveraging the power and versatility of large language models. Opinion units consist of concise, context-rich excerpts that capture individual opinions, paired with sentiment metadata. The proposed methods demonstrate high accuracy in opinion extraction and show promise for downstream applications. For instance, in opinion search and topic modeling of customer reviews, the compactness and distinctness of opinion units enhance retrieval precision and produce more coherent and interpretable groupings of opinions. This enables the identification of specific aspects driving customer satisfaction, providing insights for product development and targeted marketing. Marketing experiments conducted in this thesis reveal how media contexts influence advertising perceptions. The findings demonstrate that engaging content and the credibility of website sources create a spillover effect, enhancing the effectiveness of associated ads. Regarding brand safety—ensuring ads do not appear in brand-damaging contexts—the results suggest that proximity to negative news articles alone is not directly harmful. However, marketers face increased risks when the advertised message is associated with a negative context. To mitigate these risks, AI tools can be used to detect and avoid potentially unsafe online environments. Finally, the thesis offers guidance on AI-driven ad targeting by outlining the trade-offs between contextual and personalized strategies, as well as manual versus automated methods. The discussion considers key factors such as marketing objectives, data availability, and ethical considerations alongside regulatory requirements. The findings serve as a foundation for making well-informed, strategic choices in the future of advertising targeting.
Supervisor
Johanna Björklund, Associate Professor at Umeå University
Opponent
Bernard Jansen, Professor at Qatar Computing Research Institute.

AI and Society: Fresh Perspectives from PhD Graduates
2025-06-09 15:00 - 16:00
Newly minted PhD students from the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society Graduate School discuss their insights into the implications and entanglements of AI for society and humanity.
Program
Empathy and Manipulation VerificationAndreas Brännström, Umeå University
Democratic Subjects and Datafied WelfarePetter Falk, Karlstad University
Sensemaking and Transparency of Medical AICharlotte Högberg, Lund University
Neoliberal Social Media Fuels Far-RightPasko Kisić-Merino, Lund University
Proactive Balancing: Law and AIMaksymilian M. Kuźmicz, Stockholm University
The event will take place online over Zoom on June 9 at 15-16. All are welcome and the event will be in English.
Register.

PhD Defense – AI Transparency in Trustworthy AI: From Metaphor to Governance Tool in EU Technology Regulation
2025-06-10
Katarzyna Söderlund defends her doctoral thesis, “AI Transparency in Trustworthy AI: From Metaphor to Governance Tool in EU Technology Regulation,” at Lund University (LTH).
Abstract
Transparency has emerged as a fundamental component of ethical AI guidelines around the world. In the European Union (EU), it is recognised as one of the core principles for fostering Trustworthy AI, and serves as a cornerstone in building an ecosystem of trust within the AI governance framework.
However, to support these ambitious policy objectives, the concept of transparency must be translated into clearly defined and implementable measures. Thus, by employing a combination of legal-doctrinal and socio-legal approaches, this compilation thesis aims to contribute to a clarified understanding of the concept of AI transparency in the EU’s AI governance discourses. I examine the concept of AI transparency across four levels of abstraction: as a stand-alone objective, as a governance ideal, as a governance tool, and as a ‘floating signifier’. Focusing in particular on AI transparency as a governance ideal and as a governance tool in relation to the EU’s policymaking objective of Trustworthy AI, I analyse how AI transparency has been conceptualised, designed, and implemented for two stakeholder groups — individuals and oversight bodies — within the governance frameworks of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Services Act (DSA), and the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA).
The main argument advanced in the thesis is that while AI transparency directed at individuals (understood as data subjects, service recipients, and natural persons) remains relevant, it is the effectiveness of oversight-oriented AI transparency that is crucial to the enforcement of the EU technology regulation and is, ultimately, foundational in the EU’s pursuit of Trustworthy AI. Although transparency is central to the EU’s vision for Trustworthy AI, its effectiveness depends on how legal obligations are interpreted, implemented, and enforced in practice.
Opponent
Associate Professor Lena Enqvist

Joint Summer School on Resilience and Regulation
2025-06-23 08:00 - 2025-06-27 17:00 | Campus Norrköping and Visualiseringscenter C, Norrköping
Registration is closed.
About the Event
Join us for the Joint Summer School on Resilience and Regulation, arranged by the WASP Research Arenas Robotics, Public Safety, Media & Language, and Operational Data, as well as WASP-HS.
This year’s theme—Resilience and Regulation—centers on building safe and robust AI-driven systems while addressing the legal and regulatory frameworks shaping AI and autonomy. The summer school welcomes PhD students from various disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary discussions on the challenges and opportunities in developing responsible and resilient autonomous technologies.
The program will feature a mix of lectures, hands-on technical sessions, workshops and student presentations, with embedded discussions on regulatory and legal aspects across all tracks. Topics included in the tracks will be shared shortly. Beyond the academic experience, the Summer School offers engaging social activities and a conference dinner.
This Summer School is a unique opportunity to explore your research at the intersection of technology, regulation and resilience, while connecting with peers from WASP and WASP-HS.
Target Groups
The main target group from WASP Graduate School is Class 2024, however, students from other classes are more than welcome to attend.
All WASP-HS graduate students are expected to attend.
There is a limited number of seats so please register as soon as possible. There will be a waiting list in case of high demand.
Accommodation
During this week, Norrköping is hosting SM-veckan (a huge sports event). Accommodation is provided for all WASP-HS PhD students at Scandic Norrköping City. We suggest that you book your train tickets to Norrköping as soon as you get a confirmation of your participation.

Read more on the WASP website.

Synthetic Data: Representation and/vs Representativeness
2025-08-19 08:00 - 17:00 | 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 16:30 - 17:30
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
Do you want to join the webinar? Send an email to graduate.school@wasp-hs.org for the link!

Winter Conference 2026
2026-02-04 09:00 - 2026-02-06 12:00
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
Encountering DigitalizationWhat happens when interactions are automated and digital agents intervene? Welcome to this year’s WASP-HS Annual Exchange — a dynamic conversation on human-centred digitalization with Prof. Brit Ross Winthereik, Dr. Kash Haresamudram, Dr. Charlotte Högberg and Dr. Malin Heintz.

Speakers

Brit Ross Wintereik

Professor, Technology and Business Studies, IT University of Copenhagen

Kashyap Haresamudram

PhD in 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

How to write a post doc application

15:20—18:00

B336

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

18:00-18:30

B336

PhD student council meeting

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

Workshop 3

13:00—16.00

Workshop 4

13:00—16.00

Workshop 5

18:00-

Paradis Biljard

PhD student social activity

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

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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

Preliminary Conference Program
Conference program may be subject to change.

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

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
