91直播 of Rome (AUR), in collaboration with the and the , hosted the second edition of its annual workshop series "Digitality: The Maker of (New?) Political World Orders" on September 19, 2025. This year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淒igitality and Coloniality,鈥� brought together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from across the globe to examine the profound challenges posed by the digital revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence.
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The event featured contributions from experts representing Bangladesh, Brazil, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The keynote address was delivered by , who explored the global implications of the concentrated power of emerging technologies.
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Discussions probed the intersections of technology, politics, and power, asking whether the Fourth Industrial Revolution is giving rise to 鈥渘ew colonialisms.鈥� Topics included digital labor, surveillance and data mining, the role of private entrepreneurship in information ownership, and the use of AI in warfare.
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Alongside the formal presentations, participants engaged in interactive sessions and a concluding debate hosted by AUR鈥檚 International Relations Club, which explored both the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence.
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Reflecting on the day, participant Alessandro Masoni, PhD, Architect, commented: 鈥淚 loved the 鈥楧igitality & Coloniality鈥� workshop at 91直播 of Rome. It was a powerful reminder that we need to step more often outside our professional silos. It's crucial for designers to understand critical theories about power, data, and culture because these forces shape every space we build, both physical and digital.鈥�
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Professor Irene Caratelli, Director of the International Relations and Global Politics program at 91直播 of Rome highlighted the importance of such dialogue: 鈥淎s a liberal arts institution with a global outlook, AUR is committed to addressing the pressing questions of our time. This workshop exemplifies how academia can convene international voices to better understand - and shape - the political realities of the digital age.鈥�
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The Digitality and Coloniality workshop underscored both the risks and transformative potential of digital technologies. By fostering critical reflection and cross-disciplinary exchange, AUR and its partners aim to contribute meaningfully to the global conversation on the future of power, freedom, and responsibility in the digital era.
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The full program:
DIGITALITY AND COLONIALITY
THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ROME (AUR), AUDITORIUM
September 19th, 2025
9:30 鈥� Welcome address by head of IR department, Professor Irene Caratelli听
9:45 鈥� Introduction to the theme of the workshop by organizers Claudia Favarato (University of Bayreuth) and Benedetta Lanfranchi (AUR)
10:15 鈥� Keynote by Professor Waddick Doyle (American University Paris) 鈥淲hat听the resistance to the attention economy can learn from earlier anti colonial struggles鈥�
11:30 鈥� Panel 1: The Political Economy of Digital Coloniality听- Chair Irene Caratelli
- Matteo Caravani (Universit脿 Roma Tre) 鈥淎ccumulation by (un)certainty in the era of surveillance capitalism鈥�
- Nazam Laila (Chatham House) 鈥淒ecolonising transhumanism: unequal biotechnological futures in the age of digital colonialism鈥�
14:00 - Interactive session by Beth芒nia Monteforte Sasseron and Delso de C谩ssio Batista J煤nior, 鈥淓nvisioning AI Through Reflexivity: Co-creating Contextual Ethical Strategies and Frameworks鈥�
15:30 - Panel 2: Mapping and Resisting Digital Coloniality -听Chair Catherine Cornet听
- Claudia Favarato and Benedetta Lanfranchi, 鈥淒igitality and the sub-real鈥�
- Walter Lippold (Universidade Federal de Rio Grande do Sul) 鈥淎 cr铆tica anticolonial de Fanon e a descoloniza莽茫o da tecnologia鈥�
- Michelle Clarke, 鈥淎lgorithmic reasoning: calculating the human in African science fiction鈥�
16: 30 鈥� Debate by the AUR IR Club听
- Topic: 鈥淕enerative AI and the extermination of human creativity and labour鈥�
Debaters: Alessandro Allegrini, Elena Jakovljevi膰, Christopher Teixeira, Nicholas Urich
Moderator: Yasmine Sumagin, President of the debate club
17: 30 鈥� Concluding remarks