Yo folks, thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. In February 2024, I was honored to be elected as a French Government By-Fellow at Churchill College, University of Cambridge. This prestigious appointment is a tremendous opportunity, and I’m grateful for the recognition.
For those unfamiliar with Churchill College, it plays a significant role in the University of Cambridge’s history and present. It was founded in 1960 as a national and Commonwealth memorial to arguably my least favorite “Winston Churchill”. I typically engage with technology-oriented institutions that also prioritize the social sciences. Churchill College is no exception, as it centers on science, engineering, and technology while also maintaining a strong emphasis on the human and social dimensions of learning and education.
As a By-Fellow, I’ll be calling Cambridge my home until the end of the year. During this time, I’ll mainly serve as a visiting researcher at the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy. This position offers an incredible chance to collaborate with a network of brilliant minds, including Professor Gina Neff, the centre’s director, Alex Wood, assistant professor at the Department of Sociology and facilitator of the Individual in the Labour Market reading group, and Debangana Bose, convenor of the Technologies at Work research network.
My primary focus during this fellowship will be working on my new book exploring the history of human computation. Cambridge’s world-renowned libraries and manuscript archives, particularly those at Trinity and St. John’s Colleges, will be invaluable resources for this project.
But that’s not all – I’ll also be involved in organizing and participating in several exciting academic events. On October 10th, I have the honor of delivering the inaugural session of the Technologies at Work research network. My seminar, titled “How much labour does it take to make a labour-saving technology? AI and the global paradox of data work,” will kick off what promises to be a thought-provoking series.
One event I’m particularly looking forward to is “In the Belly of AI,” a cross-disciplinary workshop I’m convening and co-organizing on November 12th, 2024. This gathering will bring together colleagues and friends to discuss the human and environmental costs of AI. We’ll explore crucial themes such as data centers, algorithmic harms, workers’ rights, data capitalism, and longtermism. I’m excited to be working alongside Ana Valdivia from the Oxford Internet Institute, Adio Dinika from DAIR, and James Muldoon from the University of Essex on this important initiative. As an added bonus, workshop participants will get an exclusive first look an eponymous upcoming documentary, that I have co-written with Henri Poulain and Julien Groetz for France Télévision.
I’m looking forward to this new chapter and the opportunities it brings. Stay tuned for updates on my research, events, and insights gained during this fellowship. It’s going to be an exciting and productive year!