SG Lecture: How Data became Power
Over dit evenement
- Categorie
- Extern
- Datum en tijd
- 17 nov 2026 15:00 - 16:15
- Locatie
- Black Box | Esplanade building Tilburg University
This lecture is organized by Studium Generale.
Data describe the world and shape it: from the censuses of ancient civilizations to Big Tech’s algorithms.
Data and artificial intelligence are often presented as revolutionary technologies: transforming how we understand and govern society. But the power of data is far from new. From ancient empires counting their populations to the rise of statistics and the modern nation-state, collecting and classifying have always been instruments of power. Numbers do not simply describe the world; they help shape it. Who gets counted, what gets measured, and how information is used have profound consequences for how societies are organized and governed.
Who’s afraid of AI?
This talk will take us on a journey through the past, present, and future of data and power. Moving from the censuses of ancient civilizations to the rise of Big Tech and artificial intelligence, it will explore how data has shifted power between governments, corporations, and citizens. Looking ahead, the talk will challenge the popular narrative that AI is becoming an unstoppable force beyond human control. It is not. Rather than ending with yet another AI doomsday scenario, the talk asks how we might stop worrying and learn to love our technological monsters.
Meet Shirley Kempeneer
Dr. Shirley Kempeneer is an Assistant Professor of Public Governance at Tilburg University, where she researches the intersection of technology, politics, and public administration. Her work focuses on the digital transformation of government, the governance of artificial intelligence, and the role of data in shifting power relations between governments, technology companies, and citizens. Drawing on perspectives from public administration and science and technology studies, she examines how digital technologies shape public institutions, democratic values, and the exercise of power.
November 17, 2026 15:00-16:15. Walk-in from 14:45 hrs.
Admission is free, registration is required: https://email.tilburguniversity.edu/x/event/?event=SG_Lecture_How_Data_became_Power&MIDRID=S7Y1NQMAA95