BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Societal and Environmental Risks of AI (SER-AI) Symposium METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20261112T130000 DTEND:20261112T183000 DTSTAMP:20261112T130000 UID:societal-and-environmental-ris@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260925T040352 LOCATION: SUMMARY:Societal and Environmental Risks of AI (SER-AI) Symposium X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

During this event, w e will explore the societal and environmental risks of being (“ser� �� in Spanish) AI users. How is that AI usage is affecting democracie s? What about its effects on human cognition? What are the environmen tal costs of using it?

We are looking forward to welcoming you for an afternoon full of insights from VU researchers about the risks of AI use and current ongoing works, where you also will have t he opportunity to do hands-on activities during the workshop session and to showcase your own research by giving a lighting talk. For early career researchers in a Dutch institute or university, we are offering financial aid to travel to the symposium to present their re search.

Sign up!

Panelists

Dr. Emma Beauxis-Aussalet

Dr. Pascal Koenig, Department of Poli tical Science and Public Administration.
Dr. Koenig will talk abo ut the changing relations between artificial government and citizen-s tate.
Dr. Vincenzo Stoico, Department of Computer Science.
Dr. Stoico will walk us through the quantifica tion of AI energy usage.

Keynote Felienne Hermans

AI is the future, but whose?

What is A I? What is AI for, and what are its goals? Can we use AI for science? For education? The dominant discourse in 2026 makes it easy to belie ve in 2026 that AI is good, and will make our lives and jobs much eas ier.

In this talk Felienne Hermans, professor of Computer Scien ce education will take you through an alternate history of AI, progra mming, and its epistemological development. She will take you through over a century of alternative tech voices and discuss what we can le arn from that for the current state of programming and its future.

DESCRIPTION: During this event, we will explore the societal and envir onmental risks of being (“ser” in Spanish) AI users. How is that AI usage is affecting democracies? What about its effects on human co gnition? What are the environmental costs of using it? We are looking forward to welcoming you for an afternoon full of insights from VU r esearchers about the risks of AI use and current ongoing works, where you also will have the opportunity to do hands-on activities during the workshop session and to showcase your own research by giving a li ghting talk. For early career researchers in a Dutch institute o r university, we are offering financial aid to travel to the symposiu m to present their research.Detailed programme Sign up!

Panelists

Dr. Emma Beauxis-Aussalet, Department of Compu ter Science.
Dr. Beauxis-Aussalet will give an overview of the te chnical and societal challenges with assessing AI fairness and robust ness.
Dr. Pascal Koenig, Department of P olitical Science and Public Administration.
Dr. Koenig will talk about the changing relations between artificial government and citize n-state.
Dr. Vincenzo Stoico, Department of Computer Science.
Dr. Stoico will walk us through the quantif ication of AI energy usage.

Keynote Felienne Herm ans

AI is the future, but whose?What is AI? What is AI for, and what are its goals? Can we use AI for science? For ed ucation? The dominant discourse in 2026 makes it easy to believe in 2 026 that AI is good, and will make our lives and jobs much easier.In this talk Felienne Hermans, professor of Computer Science education w ill take you through an alternate history of AI, programming, and its epistemological development. She will take you through over a centur y of alternative tech voices and discuss what we can learn from that for the current state of programming and its future. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR