Stefaan Verhulst
Book by Mona Sloane: “The age of AI is not what you think. Rather than ushering in a fourth Industrial Revolution, AI has become a crucial social infrastructure of everyday life. It’s embedded in the tools, platforms, and systems that organize our most intimate lives and our interactions with the most fundamental institutions of society, from government agencies to banks and schools. In these linkages are embedded assumptions about who we are, what we can do, and where we belong.
In Predicted, Mona Sloane offers a pragmatic framework for understanding these transformations around prediction, classification, and linearity, proposing we rethink AI as a social arrangement that we coproduce. Drawing on over a decade of empirical research and real-world examples, this book invites readers to see AI for what it is: deeply social, deeply political, and open to change. Clear-eyed and provocative, Predicted is a call to reclaim deliberations about progress and innovation as a public good and to ensure that the futures we chart are the ones we choose—together…(More)”.
Report by Nasa Lifelines: Geospatial AI (GeoAI) offers transformative potential to support rapid disaster assessment, predictive modeling for early warning, population mapping in data-poor regions, and real-time tracking of displacement and infrastructure damage. These capabilities promise to deliver the speed, scale, and accuracy that humanitarian decision-making needs under growing time and resource constraints. Yet despite rapid technical advances, GeoAI adoption in humanitarian contexts remains uneven and constrained by non-technical factors. This study reveals a persistent mismatch between what is scientifically possible and what is operationally usable. While researchers optimize for model accuracy and methodological rigor, humanitarian actors require tools that work offine, communicate uncertainty clearly, integrate with existing workflows, and earn trust through transparency and field validation…”.
Article by Christopher Beam: “…Mention markets are the high-octane, fast-twitch speed competitions of the prediction market world. But they’re just one corner of it. Users of Kalshi and its primary rival, Polymarket, can bet on events major and minor, from politics to sports to culture to the weather. Recent markets on Kalshi have included whether certain words would be used during a Palantir Technologies Inc. earnings call, whether Elon Musk would win his court case against OpenAI and whether the highest temperature in Seattle on Feb. 4 would be within a certain range. Polymarket users have bet on whether the US would strike Iran on a particular date, whether a given Trump cabinet member would be the first to leave office and whether Jesus Christ would return before 2027.
Prediction markets were once a fringe obsession of economists and election wonks, but in the past year or so, they’ve gone from obscure to everywhere. The industry is booming thanks to a combination of marketing, distrust in traditional sources of information and a newly friendly regulatory environment. Late last year, Kalshi Inc. and Polymarket, both headquartered in New York City, raised funds at valuations of $11 billion and $8 billion, respectively. In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, Kalshi users were betting more than $2 billion a week, while Polymarket users were just shy of that, according to user-compiled data on Dune Analytics…(More)”.
Article by Yasemin Derebasi and Benjamin Bertelsen: “Thousands of reliable open-source solutions exist that can help countries address pressing development challenges. At the same time, an estimated 80% of government digital transformation projects fail to achieve their planned objectives…Across the world, there are several examples already demonstrating the art of the possible. For example, Linux powers more than 96 percent of the world’s top one million web servers. OpenSSL is an open-source technology that secures millions of encrypted connections daily, protecting everything from bank transfers to private messages. OpenMRS supports electronic medical records for more than 22 million patients in over 80 countries…
Open source operates around ‘Four Freedoms’, that include the freedom to inspect, use, modify, and distribute software. These freedoms directly map to the principles of human capability and agency. When communities can inspect code, they build technical literacy and transparency that bolster both personal autonomy and collective knowledge. When they can use software without restrictions, powerful technologies remain accessible to journalists, farmers, activists, and communities regardless of economic resources. When they can modify software, users can adapt tools to their specific contexts, such as customizing climate monitoring systems to local environmental conditions or tailoring financial platforms to national regulations. When people can distribute software freely, innovations spread rapidly across communities facing similar challenges. These freedoms enable power to become distributed rather than centralized, and innovation can flourish because solutions can be adapted to local challenges…
The Digital X 3.0 project, supported by Japan, offers a curated catalogue of mostly open-source solutions that have been deployed and validated in real-world development contexts – helping match what exists with what’s needed…You can learn more about the Digital X Catalogue here…(More).
Insights from 12 European cities’ processes of establishing Food Policy Councils by Rachel Reckinger: “Food Policy Councils (FPCs) are increasingly used to coordinate values-based territorial food networks in European cities. Their contribution, however, extends beyond formal policy outputs to the processes that enable deliberation, collaboration and stakeholder engagement. Drawing on four years of empirical work with 12 cities participating in the FUSILLI Project, we examine how FPCs are initiated, organised and embedded within local governance settings.The analysis revisits the distinction between “bottom-up” and “government-mandated” FPCs and shows that cases frequently combine characteristics of both. Rather than two distinct models, they form a spectrum of co-created arrangements in which civil society, municipal administrations, businesses and researchers negotiate roles and responsibilities. The urban scale emerges as a critical locus for this work, offering institutional proximity, opportunities for coordination across sectors and the capacity to link community initiatives with formal policy processes.Using a comparative framework, the study assesses FPCs along three dimensions: food system sustainability, food democracy and good governance. It considers stated objectives, governance practices, activities and outputs, and the outcomes that follow from them. The findings indicate that even early-stage or partial initiatives can strengthen participation, improve cross-sector coordination and support incremental system change.Overall, the paper clarifies the organisational configurations through which FPCs contribute to food system transformation. It identifies core features that underpin their durability and policy relevance, alongside optional elements that can enhance their performance. The results offer practical insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to design or refine FPCs capable of supporting resilient and values-driven urban food systems…(More)”.
Book by Benjamin Farrand: “From the rise of China as a technological superpower, to wars on its eastern borders, to the belief that the US is no longer a reliable ally, the European Commission sees the world as more unstable than at any other time in recent history. As such, the Commission has become the Geopolitical Commission, working to serve the interests of the Geopolitical Union. Central to many of these conflicts is technology – who produces it, where it is produced, and who controls it. These questions are central to the Commission’s pursuit of digital/technological sovereignty, Europe’s attempt to regain control of technology regulation. Focusing on topics such as setting technological standards, ensuring access to microchips, reining in online platforms, and securing rules for industrial data and AI, this book explores the EU’s approach to lawmaking in this field; increased regulatory oversight and promotion of industrial policy at home, while exporting its rules abroad…(More)”.
Paper by Joshua Garland et al: “Social media platforms frequently prioritize efficiency to maximize ad revenue and user engagement, often sacrificing deliberation, trust, and reflective, purposeful cognitive engagement in the process. This manuscript examines the potential of friction—design choices that intentionally slow user interactions—as an alternate approach. We present a case against efficiency as the dominant paradigm on social media and advocate for a complex systems approach to understanding and analyzing friction. Drawing from interdisciplinary literature, real-world examples, and industry experiments, we highlight the potential for friction to mitigate issues like polarization, disinformation, and toxic content without resorting to censorship. We propose a state space representation of friction to establish a multidimensional framework and language for analyzing the diverse forms and functions through which friction can be implemented. Additionally, we propose several experimental designs to examine the impact of friction on system dynamics, user behavior, and information ecosystems, each designed with complex systems solutions and perspectives in mind. Our case against efficiency underscores the critical role of friction in shaping digital spaces, challenging the relentless pursuit of efficiency and exploring the potential of thoughtful slowing…(More)”.
Article by Antonio Desiderio et al: “Linnaean taxonomy, which imposes hierarchical classifications based on morphological characteristics, has become deeply embedded in modern data architecture, from databases to metadata schemas to AI training datasets. With its hierarchical structure and rigid categorization, Linnaean taxonomy privileges one type of knowledge while marginalizing alternative taxonomies that offer more fluid, contextual, and relational understandings of the natural world. This paper examines how the legacy of Linnaean taxonomy continues to shape contemporary classification systems and artificial intelligence (AI). Indigenous knowledge systems, which include spiritual, cultural, and ecological dimensions, view entities not as isolated objects but as nodes in dynamic, interconnected networks. We draw from the French naturalist, Comte de Buffon, who, in line with Indigenous knowledge systems, viewed nature as continuous and contextual rather than discretely compartmentalized. The dominance of Linnaean-style classification in AI and data systems perpetuates colonial power dynamics and contributes to knowledge homogenization while losing Indigenous languages and classification systems crucial for addressing contemporary environmental challenges, particularly in agriculture and biodiversity conservation. In this Age of AI, we call for a holistic and ecological approach to archives. Therefore, we propose applying ‘rhizomatic hylomorphism,’ an ethnobiological, alternative classification that transcends hierarchical taxonomies to embrace multiplicity, relationality, and contextual meaning…(More)”.
Book by Barry Schwartz and Richard Schuldenfrei: “For many decision scientists, their starting point—drawn from economics—is a quantitative formula called rational choice theory, allowing people to calculate and choose the best options. The problem is that this framework assumes an overly simplistic picture of the world, in which different types of values can be quantified and compared, leading to the “most rational” choice. Behavioral economics acknowledges that irrationality is common but still accepts the underlying belief from economics of what a rational decision should look like.
In this book, Barry Schwartz and Richard Schuldenfrei offer a different way to think about the choices we make every day. Drawing from economics, psychology, and philosophy—and both inspired by and challenging Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow—they show how the focus on rationality, narrowly understood, fails to fully describe how we think about our decisions, much less help us make better ones. Notably, it overlooks the positive contribution that framing—how we determine what aspects are most important to us—contributes to good decisions. Schwartz and Schuldenfrei argue that our choices should be informed by our individual “constellation of virtues,” allowing for a far richer understanding of the decisions we make and helping us to live more integrated and purposeful lives…(More)”.
CivicPlus: “Resident engagement today looks very different than it did even a few years ago. Expectations are higher, attention is harder to earn, and residents want to interact with local government in ways that fit their daily lives, not just during meetings or election cycles.
Across the country, local governments are responding by rethinking how they communicate, listen, and involve residents. Some initiatives are digital. Others are in-person. Many blend the two. What they have in common is a focus on meeting residents where they are and making civic participation easier, more relevant, and more meaningful.
The 12 examples below highlight how local governments are putting those ideas into practice right now, from small, low-lift programs to larger, more visible initiatives that help strengthen resident engagement over time.
1. Visual Storytelling on Pinterest, Banff, AB
The Town of Banff uses Pinterest to visually showcase its community through curated boards featuring landscapes, seasonal moments, and local experiences.
Pinterest allows the town to share high-quality imagery while linking pins back to related content, making it easier for audiences to explore Banff beyond a single post. Unlike fast-scroll social platforms, Pinterest supports long-term content discovery. Pins remain searchable and shareable over time, helping Banff extend the reach of its visual content to residents, visitors, and people planning future travel.
Why it works: Pinterest gives communities a way to tell their story, promote local experiences, and reinforce civic pride, all while directing audiences to deeper information through linked content…
8. Citizens Academy Program, Rockingham County, NC
Rockingham County, North Carolina, offers a program that gives residents an inside look at how the county government operates, from budget and policies to procedures and day-to-day operations.
The free, eight-week program is designed to help participants better understand county services, departments, and decision-making processes through guided sessions and direct interaction with county staff. Participants leave with a clearer understanding of local government responsibilities and opportunities to stay involved beyond the program itself.
Why it works: Educational programs like a citizens academy help residents better understand how local government works, which helps foster stronger community engagement and potentially develop future local leaders…(More)”.