Seeking advice. I frequently teach a #HigherEd #AcademicChatter class in the US on Social Informatics which includes a module on #OpenGovernment and #CivicTech to give students an overview of the sector (international, national, state/provincial, local) as a public good, driver of economic health, and locus for potential careers. Obviously there have been changes in US federal policies with deleterious trends in the past year, and I have those covered.

I am seeking help covering emerging #DigitalSovereignty trends. Especially those which involve non-US entities leaving or planning departures from US-based tech because of any combination of tariff demands, copyright/surveillance policies, or other concerns about corporate and/or political power. I already cover the UK transition to Open Document Format in 2014. So I'm not presenting this as something new, but the speed and urgency is definitely picking up (see example links of EU moves to promote FOSS alternatives to US tech, France dropping Teams and Zoom).

1. Examples and links are definitely welcome

2. Thoughts from folks about how to explain this emergent scenario to US-based #ComputerScience and #Informatics and other college students, and its impacts on their futures. Thoughts from outside and inside the US are very welcome.

3. Same as no.2 but where do you see this trend in 5 years? 10 years?

You read this far? Thank you! Wow!

e.g. EU https://www.opensourceforu.com/2026/01/eu-plans-to-scale-open-source-into-commercial-rivals-to-us-technology/

e.g. France https://www.zdnet.com/article/france-dumps-teams-zoom-digital-sovereignty-replacement/

Seeking advice. I frequently teach a #HigherEd #AcademicChatter class in the US on Social Informatics which includes a module on #OpenGovernment and #CivicTech to give students an overview of the sector (international, national, state/provincial, local) as a public good, driver of economic health, and locus for potential careers. Obviously there have been changes in US federal policies with deleterious trends in the past year, and I have those covered.

I am seeking help covering emerging #DigitalSovereignty trends. Especially those which involve non-US entities leaving or planning departures from US-based tech because of any combination of tariff demands, copyright/surveillance policies, or other concerns about corporate and/or political power. I already cover the UK transition to Open Document Format in 2014. So I'm not presenting this as something new, but the speed and urgency is definitely picking up (see example links of EU moves to promote FOSS alternatives to US tech, France dropping Teams and Zoom).

1. Examples and links are definitely welcome

2. Thoughts from folks about how to explain this emergent scenario to US-based #ComputerScience and #Informatics and other college students, and its impacts on their futures. Thoughts from outside and inside the US are very welcome.

3. Same as no.2 but where do you see this trend in 5 years? 10 years?

You read this far? Thank you! Wow!

e.g. EU https://www.opensourceforu.com/2026/01/eu-plans-to-scale-open-source-into-commercial-rivals-to-us-technology/

e.g. France https://www.zdnet.com/article/france-dumps-teams-zoom-digital-sovereignty-replacement/

New article on promoting the human in an AI world.

"This essay uses cyborg anthropology to model interactions between humans and artificial intelligence (ai) and highlights potential strengths and weaknesses of ai regarding learning and innovation. Informed by Haraway’s emphases on inequalities, we recognize ai is neither a separate nor superior form of intelligence, but a tool that augments human agency. Current examples of ai implementation in the civic, domestic, labor, and educational domains expose the potential of ai for biases and oppression as a human construct that reflects and affects the sociocultural and ethical values of its creators and users. These examples inform practical and ethical considerations for the development and use of ai in the future, including structured human-ai collaboration, promotion of human-ai literacy, respect for human dignity and rights, and addressing inherent biases and inequalities."

Wells, Joshua, and James M. Vanderveen. 2026. “ An Anthropological Understanding of Artificial Intelligence Transformations in Civic and Domestic Life, Labor, and Higher Education Through the Cybernetic Organism (Cyborg) Concept”. Maguaré 40 (1):157-84. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/maguare/article/view/124922

#anthropology #sociology #informatics #computerscience #artificialintelligence #cyborg #openaccess #highered #academicchatter

New article on promoting the human in an AI world.

"This essay uses cyborg anthropology to model interactions between humans and artificial intelligence (ai) and highlights potential strengths and weaknesses of ai regarding learning and innovation. Informed by Haraway’s emphases on inequalities, we recognize ai is neither a separate nor superior form of intelligence, but a tool that augments human agency. Current examples of ai implementation in the civic, domestic, labor, and educational domains expose the potential of ai for biases and oppression as a human construct that reflects and affects the sociocultural and ethical values of its creators and users. These examples inform practical and ethical considerations for the development and use of ai in the future, including structured human-ai collaboration, promotion of human-ai literacy, respect for human dignity and rights, and addressing inherent biases and inequalities."

Wells, Joshua, and James M. Vanderveen. 2026. “ An Anthropological Understanding of Artificial Intelligence Transformations in Civic and Domestic Life, Labor, and Higher Education Through the Cybernetic Organism (Cyborg) Concept”. Maguaré 40 (1):157-84. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/maguare/article/view/124922

#anthropology #sociology #informatics #computerscience #artificialintelligence #cyborg #openaccess #highered #academicchatter