In this session Mohammad Mahdi and Bernhard Rieder will discuss the transformative potential of so-called “foundation models” by focusing on a series of perspectives including their technical mechanisms, promised applications, ethical considerations, and economic implications. Rather than taking the transformative potential of these technology for granted, this session will examine how these transformative potentials are discursively, economically, and technically produced. The session will also examine how AI technologies are becoming “platforms” and why this matters for critical analysis.

Registration required (limited spaces): https://ias.uva.nl/content/events/2025/05/foundation-models-technical-ethical-and-economic-implications.html