An idea that grew from a seminar, and the students taking it further.
SCAI grew out of the University of Zurich seminar Artificial Intelligence and/for the Social Sciences. A small group of students from different disciplines wanted to keep exploring these questions beyond the classroom and open the conversation to others. The initiative is still taking shape, with room for the ideas of everyone who joins.
What we doThese are the formats we’re developing, with room for new ideas.
Develop research ideas with other students and find collaborators or useful resources.
Conversations with guests from different fields, with room for questions and disagreement.
Discuss texts, research and documentaries together, sometimes with invited guests.
Student writing on AI and society. The theme and entry details will follow.
Practical sessions and student-led ideas, with essays and reflections on our blog.
Historical images can give us a starting point for a reading or a discussion. Here are a few topics we could explore.
This drawing of an electricity substation brings the physical infrastructure into view. A panel could take that question into the present: what do data centres need, and how do their demands affect the places around them?
Suggest a discussion
The Panopticon was designed around observation. In a reading group, we could use it to discuss how surveillance has changed. In the research hub, students could investigate how AI is used to monitor people at work or in public spaces.
Bring a research idea
