The Aula Fellowship were present, to discuss social and environmental concerns to do with the marketing of AI as a panacea. The event brings together technology companies, civil society, and decision-makers. We were able to connect with other non-profits and universities in this sector, and to build collaborations with several attendees and presenters.
Category: Hard Questions: Society
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United Nations Commission on the creation of a Scientific Panel on AI
Presenting to the UN Committee on the formation of a Scientific Advisory Panel on AI. We also seconded calls by other presenters to ask the committee to move future convenings out of New York, so as to make it possible for delegates to attend from more countries, given the historical and current circumstances in the United States. Post: Consultation on the governance of the UN’s Scientific Advisory Panel on AI. Post on LinkedIn.
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Pre-conference workshop: Université de l’Alberta Conférence Annuelle
We were pleased to sponsor the 2025 Campus St Jean Annual Conference of the University of Alberta. Two Aula Fellows were present, and offered a workshop for faculty. The event was well attended. As Fellows, we were happy to receive feedback that the workshop empowered faculty to continue conversations on the complexities of AI in society and at the University, outside the conference and into their fields of work. Some of the attendees have since joined us as Fellows.
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United Nations Commission on the creation of a Scientific Panel on AI
Consultation on the governance of the UN’s Scientific Advsory Panel on AI. Posted on LinkedIn.
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Université de l’Alberta Conférence Annuelle: Les leviers du pouvoir dans l’IA
Les leviers du pouvoir en IA
Conférencière : Tammy MacKenzie
Congrès du Campus Saint-Jean de l’Université de l’Alberta, le 25 avril 2025, Edmonton, AB (Canada). -
Community energy justice: A review of origins, convergence, and a research agenda
The transition to zero‑carbon sustainable energy systems is critical and must take an equity-oriented approach to avoid exacerbating societal injustices. We explore the concept of “community” and its potential as a viable and effective tool for studying, understanding, and fostering justice and equity in energy transitions. This paper outlines community energy justice as an area of scholarship emerging through convergence around three key concepts: community, energy transition, and justice. Using a narrative literature review approach, we unpack the origins of community energy justice research, rooted in two scholarship pillars of energy justice and community energy. We outline four driving forces and two key approaches leading to convergence between both areas of scholarship. Encompassing energy transition initiatives that incorporate both justice and community themes, we find that the overarching objective …
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Options and Motivations for International AI Benefit Sharing
Advanced AI systems could generate substantial economic and other societal benefits, but these benefits may not be widely shared by default. For a range of reasons, a number of prominent actors and institutions have called for efforts to expand access to AI’s benefits. In this report, we define the concept of international AI benefit sharing (“benefit sharing”) as efforts to support and accelerate international access to AI’s economic or broader societal benefits. Calls for benefit sharing typically invoke at least one of three motivations: 1) supporting inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, 2) fostering technological self-determination in low- and middle-income countries, and 3) advancing geopolitical objectives, including strengthening international partnerships on AI governance. Notably, as a subset of the third motive, some powerful actors – like the US government – may support benefit sharing as a tool to further their economic and national security interests. Benefit sharing could be implemented by (1) sharing AI resources (e.g., computing power or data), (2) expanding access to AI systems, or (3) transferring a portion of the financial proceeds from AI commercialisation or AI-driven economic growth. Depending on the objective that benefit sharing is intended to achieve, each of these approaches offers distinct opportunities and implementation challenges. These challenges include the potential for some benefit-sharing options to raise security concerns and increase certain global risks. Actors interested in benefit sharing may consider implementing low-risk forms of benefit sharing immediately, while launching cooperative international discussions to develop more comprehensive, mutually-beneficial initiatives.
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UAE Abaya Fashion: From Cover to Prestige (and Social Liberalization)
This paper examines the power of the UAE abaya. Moreover, it is concerned with the exploitation of luxury in the pursuit of social status and the attainment of greater freedom within an authoritarian context. As will be argued, the abaya has transitioned from serving the state in the process of identity formation to becoming a non-state actor capable of challenging dominant strictures and providing for policy alternatives. However, while the new or revamped abaya has contributed to self-actualization and made taboo topics more visible, it is also important to note that some Emiratis or minority groups may end up being excluded from this largely luxury-driven process. For the leadership, this could create an unenviable situation, particularly when considering the potential rift between the promises outlined in the state vision and the prerequisites needed for its implementation. With this in mind, the present analysis is also intended to assist policymakers working on tolerance and social cohesion, as well as those striving to position the UAE as a major point of reference in global affairs.
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Africa’s Energy Poverty in An Artificial Intelligence (AI) World: Struggle for Sustainable Development Goal 7
Energy poverty remains a significant challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where approximately 600 million people lack proper access to electricity. This paper examines the region’s current state of energy poverty, highlighting its socio-economic impacts and the barriers to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which aims for affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030. Despite the region’s rich renewable energy potential, inadequate infrastructure, economic constraints, and governance issues continue to impede progress. This work employs a doctrinal research methodology, focusing on the critical analysis of existing legal and policy frameworks relevant to energy poverty and the integration of AI in energy management. This paper presents an overview of energy poverty in SSA, underpinned by current statistics and trends. It then examines the dual role of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it impacts this area: while AI technologies, through its data centre s, for example, significantly increase energy consumption, AI also offers innovative solutions for energy management, efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy sources. This paper critically analyzes these dynamics using Marxist and Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL) frameworks to understand the broader socio-economic inequalities and global power dynamics at play. Major findings indicate that current policy frameworks are inadequate in addressing the unique challenges of energy poverty and the growing role of AI in the energy sector. The paper reviews existing policy and regulatory frameworks, identifying gaps and proposing actionable recommendations for integrating AI into policies to address energy poverty. It concludes with actionable policy recommendations to achieve a just and inclusive energy transition, contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable development and technological equity.
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AI between Democracy and Authoritarianism
The perversion of democracy has advanced somuch that it has become a caricature of itself.Many of the features associated with authoritarian regimes—nepotism and corruption, major inequalities and abuses of human rights, as well as the provision of a havenfor war profiteersand business criminals—are also associated with officially-labeled democratic environments. Even though democracy is superior to other regimes in terms of “self-correction” as prompted by the principles of “evaluation, political competition, and freedom of expression,” democracies have regularly trapped themselves in policies that expose bigotryanddouble standards. For example, while the West (the US, in particular) supported non-democratic regimes in its fight against Communism during the Cold War, the EU’s involvement in the Arab Spring has opened questions about whether it has eventually assisted authoritarian instead of democratic rule. Therefore, it seemsperfectly fine that the controversial FIFA awardsthe hosting of the World Cup to both democratic and authoritarian regimes, or that theNorwegian Nobel Committee repeatedly awards the Peace Prize to individuals or supranational entities with dubious performance vis-à-vis democratic postulates.
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Mediatized discourses on Europeanization in Spain
Political and media polarization has had a detrimental impact on democratic principles and democratic processes on a
global scale. In Europe, such polarization has eroded the trust in national and European institutions and has challenged the
basic values that stand at the heart of the European integration project. The aim of this study is to analyze Spanish media discourses on Europeanization, with an attempt to identify key areas in which polarizing narratives related to Europeanization
are more prevalent. To conduct our study, six national media outlets were selected based on four criteria: media format,
ownership, ideology, and consumption. A final sample of 540 news items collected between July 2021 to March 2022 was
selected for analysis. Using a qualitative methodological approach, the study was carried out in two stages. In the first
phase, we conducted a content analysis to identify the main topics discussed in relation to the European Union and the
actors represented in them. This led to the identification of polarizing narratives and discourses emerging in the context
of the discussed topics. In the second phase, we used critical discourse analysis to analyze polarizing discourses. -
Power Preservation, No Matter the Means: Populism and Conspiracy Theory as Instruments of Political Consolidation in Serbia
This article examines the Serbian political leadership—the president and government alike—by addressing the dominant political figures’ narratives. We communicate with the theoretical aspects in the study of populism and conspiracy theories as this nexus enables us to examine the specific nature of the domestic politics in Serbia. In our view, the ruling elite complements its populist discourse with conspiracy theory to ensure its survival in power, by regularly generating fear about the threat posed to Serbian statehood and lack of apprehension for Belgrade’s geopolitical preferences and exploration of foreign policy alternatives. Our analysis fills a major gap in the literature, since there has been only sporadic research on this topic and none of it has focused on the merger of populism and conspiracy theory. The findings we have reached—largely those of the elite’s self-victimization narratives and their dissemination of anti-Western sentiments—provide for a fresh contribution to the debate concerning the power struggle and the state of democracy in Serbia, especially given the fact that the key political stakeholders draw heavily on pro-regime media outlets to readily disseminate their self-serving accounts.