Data-driven technologies are changing nearly every aspect of our lives, from how we work, learn, eat, sleep, vote, listen to music, watch films and TV, choose partners, communicate with friends and family, get the news. It’s hard to think of a single facet of contemporary life that is not being changed by big data analytics, machine-learning, algorithmic decision-making, and support systems.
Whether we like it or not, these changes are also bringing about visible social, economic, and political transformations. It may not be a stretch to say that these technologies have the possibility to alter not just how we behave, but how we understand ourselves and the social world around us, in ways that may not be concordant with fundamental EU values. The question of whether Europe is fit for a digital age is not just a question concerning Europe’s technological readiness level, but also her societal readiness level: are Europe’s economic, education, judicial, media, and political institutions prepared to lead this transformation in a manner that allows the clear benefits and sometimes obscure risks of digitalization to be distributed in a just and equitable manner?
In this virtual workshop organised by the Brightlands Institute for Smart Society and Maastricht University Campus Brussels, we will dive into two topics of fundamental importance for Europe’s digital age. In the morning session, we will discuss about democratising and governing an increasingly digital Europe that often moves at a much faster speed than its institutions.
The afternoon will be dedicated to the future of work – from what and where to how and how much – a topic that is gaining salience as we come out of the pandemic and return (or not) to our offices and routines.
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This workshop is part of an EU-funded project entitled RELAY, which aims to gather input on the European Commission’s priorities from a wide variety of stakeholders. The input received during the RELAY Project workshops will be reflected in a policy report for the European Commission.
