As part of the SSH Sector Plan Humane AI working group, Dr Vivian Chen, Dr Ofra Klein and Dr João Fernando Ferreira Gonçalves from Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication organised an interdisciplinary workshop on “Language & Power in Humane AI”, held on 27 October 2025 at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Hague.
This cross-sector and interdisciplinary event explored how generative and language technologies mediate power, shape imaginaries, and influence discourse. As part of our broader strategy to strengthen collaboration, dialogue and knowledge dissemination, this workshop brings together researchers from within and beyond the Sector Plan groups, alongside policy practitioners.
Seventeen participants presented on two main themes: Language, Community, and Identity and Moderation, Governance, and Power.
The first theme examined the cultural and human sides of AI, highlighting the “unheard voices” of sign language users and minority language communities. It called for deaf-led SignAI, decentralised model development, and reflection on how AI influences language, bias, and meaning.
The second theme addressed institutional and political issues, including AI’s role in content moderation, far-right discourse, militarisation, open-source innovation, and evolving legal and ethical frameworks for AI research.
Together, these discussions underscored how generative AI both reflects and redistributes power, raising urgent questions about fairness, representation, and accountability in Humane AI.
In the afternoon session, Sector Plan members set shared priorities and explored future collaborations across three focus areas: Power and marginalised communities, AI education, and Meaning-making and agency. Overall, participants stressed the importance of literacy, inclusivity, and interpretive agency as key to Humane AI research and agreed to continue collaborating toward more equitable, context-sensitive technologies.
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