On Thursday, 17 April at 20.00h, Studium Generale organises this hybrid edition of De Duiders (the interpreters) in the Neude library: Can we stop the techbro’s takeover? Social media researcher dr. Taylor Annabell, and AI researcher dr. Fabian Ferrari will dissect the political, cultural en financial rise of big tech.

With Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Peter Thiel (Paypal), Sundar Pichai (Google), Shou Chew (TikTok) and of course Elon Musk (X) at the front row during Donald Trump’s inauguration, it became crystal clear how powerful these billionaires are. And the way political power and big tech are seamlessly intertwined.

Social media researcher dr. Taylor Annabell (Utrecht University) explains that we are at a critical moment of thinking about big tech platforms and the way they collect, use and monetize data. What do we truly consent to when using their services?

Dr. Fabian Ferrari (Utrecht University) discusses the AI arms race between the US and China and how AI systems shape our lives. Can European governments rein in these “broligarchs” and their companies with strict EU-laws and regulations, or is there a way for us – everyday users – to opt out of big tech?

Dr. Fabian Ferrari is also an affiliated member of the Centre for Digital Humanities.

Registration

No registration is needed for the in-person event, but seats are limited. Please be on time if you want to join in the Theaterzaal (2nd floor) at the Neude Library.

There is also a live stream for this event which you can watch on YouTube.