Tessera

#ICYMI Calling all #Vienna peeps! Next weekend #ChristChurchVienna will host its annual #Midsummer #StreetParty! Yours truly is in charge of #books. Come #celebrate the #summer season with us. Food. Beats. Books. Bric-a-brac. The countdown starts now! 🎉

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3mo ago

With the #WorldCup around the corner, #FIFA is extending its use of #artificialintelligence to #protect players from abusive messages on #socialmedia. Similar #technology is already used by #PremierLeague clubs with some success.The #beautifulgame shouldn't just be smarter, it should also be safer.

Fifa expanding AI use at World Cup to reduce amount of abuse seen by players

#POV With the release of the #Pope's first #encyclical, #AIEthics is more than a #moral imperative, it takes on #religious overtones.By framing #AI through the lens of #humandignity, the text goes beyond #technology to hint at an #existentialcrisis facing humanity. www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...

Pope Leo’s ‘Magnifica humanitas’: AI must serve humanity not concentrate power - Vatican News

Marking the 135th anniversary of Rerum novarum, Pope Leo XIV releases his first encyclical, entitled ‘Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human ...

vaticannews.va

Shefali Virkar @svirkar.bsky.social · 4mo ago

#POV #Visualstorytelling is vital for #nonprofits and #humanitarian organisations, yet images of suffering have long raised #ethical concerns. Could #AI-generated imagery offer a more responsible alternative? This article explores the emerging debate around #AI and #photography. tinyurl.com/ngo-ai

No Real Child Was Harmed: Can AI-Generated Images Make Nonprofit Communications More Ethical? - AI4NGO

A research article on synthetic imagery, empathy, representation, and humanitarian communication.

tinyurl.com

#POV The positive effects of #coffee on #cognition, #digestion, and #mood are well known, but new research now looks beyond #caffeine. Coffee is rich source of #polyphenols, plant-derived compounds linked to enhanced #brainfunction and #anti-inflammatory effects. Instant or roast-and-ground,anyone?

New Scientist@newscientist.com · 4mo ago

A comprehensive study exploring coffee’s physiological effects finds that some of its benefits are down to polyphenols and their influence on gut bacteria

Shefali Virkar @svirkar.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Humans have developed sophisticated ways of collaborating in #group #decision-making - but do these systems always lead to what’s genuinely best for everyone?And what role does #diversity play? Professor @helenmargetts.bsky.social offers insight into the complex dynamics that shape political groups.

Oxford Internet Institute@oii.ox.ac.uk · 4mo ago

"The will of the people is a kind of myth," says Prof Helen Margetts of the OII, speaking on BBC Radio 4, not because people are ignorant, but because they are profoundly diverse. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

The Economist@economist.com · 5mo ago

#ICYMI: Forget about #algospeak, some of us are still trying to get our heads around the appropriate use of #emojis. An irreverent must-read for those who remember the heady days of #IRC and #Internetslang.

When is it appropriate to use the ♥️ at work? What about 😂? Our management columnist has thoughts on emoji etiquette in the workplace

#POV In the old days, #Lego was all about developing #learning, #creativity, and #problemsolving through #play. Recently, supercharged by #artificialintelligence and #socialmedia, this iconic #toy seems to have become a vehicle for highly sophisticated #propaganda. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Iran war: We spoke to the man making Lego-style AI videos that experts say are powerful propaganda

"Slopaganda" is too weak a term to capture how powerful this "highly sophisticated" content is, one expert says.

bbc.com

University of Oxford@ox.ac.uk · 5mo ago

#POV It is a truism that #language shapes #politics through strategic #rhetoric, #metaphors, and #wordchoice. But does invoking entrenched national #stereotypes make #armedconflict inevitable?Whether one is on the side of the “mad mullahs” or the “Great Satan”, the point is simple: watch your words.

'When a nation’s nature is repeatedly portrayed as irredeemably evil, what it does at the negotiating table becomes insignificant.' Rhetoric on both sides has shifted - from criticising behaviour to branding the other side as fundamentally ‘evil’, say experts from Oxford's Saïd Business School ⬇️

Public Management & Governance@pubgovman.bsky.social · 5mo ago

#PublicationAlert My lovely colleagues from @pubgovman.bsky.social, @AngelaSamuel and @jurgenwillems.bsky.social , have just #published a new #researcharticle! Do #citizens hold the #publicsector more #accountable for #failures in #crosssectoral #collaborations? Read on below to find out more!

Sectors are inherently different in what they do, and what they bring to the table in cross-sector collaborations. Therefore, do citizens consider public organizations more or less responsible for success or failure in collaborations? Read it here: doi.org/10.1111/padm...

Understanding how #youngpeople use #AI is vital. But the gap isn’t just about #technology, it is also about #awareness. Without open #conversations and #curiosity, parents risk making assumptions that could either expose children to #psychologicalharm or stifle #creativity. BBC: shorturl.at/BvZO7

Parents think they know how kids use AI. They don't

New surveys asked teens how they use AI. Parents have no idea what's going on, from homework to emotional support.

shorturl.at

"War is a place where young people who don't know each other and don't hate each other, kill each other, based on decisions made by old people who know each other and hate each other, but don't kill each other." - Anon. #StopWar #NotInMyName #BringBackDiplomacy

#CfP #EDDY2026, 21-22 September 2026 (+ tutorial day,23 September) 📍WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business) 📅Submission deadline: 03 June 2026 🔗 Submit here: tinyurl.com/eddy-subm 🌐 More information: tinyurl.com/eddy-2026 👥Jan Maly, Arianna Novaro, Frederik Van De Putte, Shefali Virkar

EDDY network - EDDY-2026 (Vienna)

Aims & Scope of the Conference In recent years, digital democracy has become a subject of academic research and is being put into practice around the world. However, the scientific investigations and...

tinyurl.com

New Scientist@newscientist.com · 6mo ago

#OnThisDay It is exactly a decade since #AlphaGo defeated 9-dan #Go champion #LeeSedol in a best-of-five encounter, marking the first time an #AI defeated a top-ranked human professional in a full-sized #boardgame. Was this moment the symbolic start of the modern AI arms race? Only time will tell.

It's been 10 years since Go champion Lee Sedol lost to DeepMind's AlphaGo. Has the technology lived up to its potential?

The Economist@economist.com · 6mo ago

The battle for control over #AI systems has been seemingly turned on its head.Indeed, it is the companies who should call for greater #oversight and #safeguards, if #Washington pushes these aside.Sounds strange? As the article says, this is a maverick government, and AI is an unorthodox #technology.

The spat between the Pentagon and Anthropic shows how the Trump administration is encouraging an AI race to the bottom. It is making an example of a firm that dared to raise concerns, even if that means hurting homegrown innovation

Shefali Virkar@svirkar.bsky.social · 7mo ago

🚨 #CfP: #IFIP #EGOV2026 in #Athens, #Greece Track 8 #SmartCities ( #Government, #Districts, #Communities & #Regions) 📜Track description: tinyurl.com/egov-conft 📅 Deadline: 16 March 2026 ✍️Conference: 30 Aug-3 Sept 2026 Track Chairs: Shefali Virkar, Manuel Pedro Rodriguez Bolivar, Joep Crompvoets

📢The #IFIP #EGOV2026 CfP is out! Delighted to be chairing the #SmartCities track (tinyurl.com/egov-conft) with @mprguezbolivar.bsky.social and Joep Crompvoets. 📅 Deadline: 16 March 2026 🔗 Submission: tinyurl.com/egov-subm ✍ 30 Aug-3 Sept 2026 🌐 Conference website: tinyurl.com/egov-26 Join us!

New Scientist@newscientist.com · 7mo ago

For those of us who grew up with the #socialbrainhypothesis, and #DunbarsNumber: new research on #cephalopods suggests that larger brains do not necessarily imply a larger number of social connections.Even #Dunbar appears to acknowledge that his theory applies more to #mammals than to other species.

A popular idea suggests a link between big brains and a rich social life, but octopuses don't fit the pattern, which suggests something else is going on

#ThatsMe Delighted to share that I have joined the European Digital DemocracY Network (EDDY) as part of the Core Committee (www.eddy-network.eu/about/who-we...)! My first task is to co-host the network's flagship #conference, #EDDY2026, in #Vienna later this year. Watch this space!

Rest of World@restofworld.org · 7mo ago

With the #AIImpactSummit2026 now underway, all eyes are on host nation #India, and the implications of holding the event in the #globalsouth. The country could emerge as a strong advocate of #AIforsocialgood, and of a more #peoplecentric approach to #AI #development and #implementation. But will it?

India has positioned itself as a “third way” for AI — an alternative to U.S. and Chinese approaches — that promises to use the technology to benefit the public, not not corporations or the state New from @ambakak.bsky.social and Astha Kapoor: restofworld.org/2026/india-a...

Bought this book quicker than you could say " #PrinceAndrew". This #ValentinesDay, let's remember the #survivors of #trafficking, #exploitation, and #abuse across the world, and stand with them as they rebuild their lives. #EpsteinFiles #GrokAI #GiselePelicot #Weinstein #MohdAlFayed

Empowering Voices. Enriching Democracy@idealdemocracy.bsky.social · 10mo ago

#ThatsMe Last November,I had the honour of being featured as part of the @idealdemocracy.bsky.social Project’s Women in ICT series.It has been three years since I joined the team at @pubgovman.bsky.social,and I have grown both as a person and a professional.Grateful always for life's many blessings.

🔦 Spotlight on Shefali Virkar. Shefali opens our Women in ICT interview series in the #IDEAL project. Her insights are powerful, and her advice is inspiring. Don’t miss it! 📰 To read the whole interview, visit the link below⤵️ www.idealdemocracy.eu/post/play-bo... #Citizendeliberation #WICT

Oxford Internet Institute@oii.ox.ac.uk · 7mo ago

An outright #ban on #socialmedia is less the act of a confident #government, and more a scramble to regain #control over a #technology and an #industry in the wake of a #failure of traditional top-down #policymaking. Effective #regulation involves rather #stakeholderconsensus and #digitalliteracy.

Following legislation introduced by the Australian government to stop young people from using major social media services, the OII's Dr Vicki Nash weighs in on whether the under-16 social media ban is the right course of action: www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-01...

Vienna University of Economics and Business@wuvienna.bsky.social · 8mo ago

How does #language shape the way we #perceive and interpret the world? What are the #consequences for the life-changing choices that we make? And how can we take back the use of language to protect the most #vulnerable and at-risk in #society? Today's #WUMattersWUTalks event made me stop and think.

📈 Rising prices, rampant inflation, and easily accessible loans are driving consumer debt. How does language shape the way we think about debt? And how do people use language when offering financial advice? Join the discussion on 🗓️ January 21, 6 pm 👉️ https://wu.at/quick-quid

#Deliverable writing on a wintry afternoon in an empty office for the @idealdemocracy.bsky.social project. This, the second #report of WP1, focuses on #politicalparticipation from the perspective of experts and beneficiaries. So satisfying to see raw data turn into text! #researcher #worklife

Times Higher Education (THE)@timeshighered.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Now is the time to examine how students engage with #ArtificialIntelligence tools in both academic and non-academic settings, explore the cross-over of competencies, and to harness this deeper understanding to support traditional teaching methods and foster critical thinking.

More than two-thirds of European universities say their PhD students are using artificial intelligence in their research, according to a major survey, which also found that doctoral education leaders see “more opportunity than challenges” in the rise of AI tools https://ow.ly/opvj50XXcLn

Empowering Voices. Enriching Democracy@idealdemocracy.bsky.social · 8mo ago

#HotOffThePress The first IDEAL Project newsletter is out! Read further to find out what our diverse and multi-talented team has been upto for the last 12 months. Subscribe to keep abreast of the very latest project developments as we continue to build a truly inclusive deliberative space in Europe.

🆕 Our first project newsletter is live! 📜 Read more to find out fresh updates, from breaking down communication barriers to empowering more voices in public debate. Subscribe to our newsletter! 👉 www.linkedin.com/pulse/inclus... #Citizendeliberation #Languagetools #Democracy #HorizonEurope