CDH online lecture: Ana Valdivia on Following the thing AI – from ecological ruinations to ecofeminist imaginations.
This lecture is part of the three-part series Digital Humanities in Times of Geopolitical Turmoil.
From microchips to chatbots, artificial intelligence (AI) lies at the heart of today’s geopolitical tensions. Behind every AI system is a complex web of global dependencies. As trade wars unfold and nations race toward technological sovereignty, AI becomes increasingly entangled with geopolitical forces. This lecture series explores how digital humanities can help us navigate this rapidly changing landscape. Other lectures in this series include:
Nick Srnicek on Silicon Empires
Rafael Grohmann on Latin American Critical AI Studies
Automated systems do not just impact an individual or population groups directly. In this talk, Ana Valdivia, departmental research lecturer in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Government, and Policy at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), calls for a rethinking of how we define algorithmic harms and the impact of AI.
Rather than focusing solely on the direct impact of automated systems on individuals or groups, she urges to examine the exploitative practices embedded within the supply chains that manufactures and transforms the materiality that makes this technology possible today. These infrastructure include data centers, component mining, and e-waste dumps to deposit cables, batteries, pipes or processors.
In short, everything that has significant consequences for the territories and local communities affected by the production of such systems. Valdivia spent three months in Mexico to understand how daily operations at ten data centers are depriving the Indigenous and rural community of Maconí of water in Querétaro, one of the most developed states. Her fieldwork revealed that Maconí people are forced to walk eight hours to get water for cooking and washing, while the local government signs agreements worth millions of dollars with hydraulic companies to secure water access for large investors like Amazon or Microsoft that plan to build even more data centers.
As a result, this talk calls for an urgent reassessment of the AI innovation race, advocating for ecofeminist algorithmic and infrastructural projects that prioritise and respect life, the people, and the planet.
Practical information
This online lecture will take place on Thursday 20 November, from 15:30 to 16:30 hours, via a Teams webinar. A link to join will be sent to al registrants before the event. You can sign up via the registration form at the bottom of this page. Participation is free of charge.
Level
No prior knowledge or experience in digital humanities is required. The lecture will be held in English.
For whom?
This online lecture is open to all interested in the lecture topic or the work of Ana Valdivia.
About
Ana Valdivia is a lecturer in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Government & Policy at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford and Visiting Research Fellow at the UCL Centre for Capitalism Studies. Her interdisciplinary work, situated at the intersection of Critical Data Studies and Computer Science, has made significant contributions to tech surveillance, algorithmic fairness, and digital sustainability literature.
Her current work examines the trade-off between environmental costs and social benefits of AI by investigating its supply chains, from mineral extraction to electronic waste dumps. She is currently writing a book on the materialities of AI for Bristol University Press. Valdivia also serves as an Associate Editor for Big Data & Society.
Registration
To sign up, please complete the registration form below. If you are unable to attend after registering, kindly email cdh@uu.nl to cancel. Thank you for your cooperation.