Erasmus Professor Moniek Buijzen calls herself a co-creationist: she is a researcher and cartographer of co-creation. She is the academic leader of the Movez network, the Erasmus initiative 'the impact of AI in society (AiPact)' and of the health sector of the national program Public Values in the Algorithmic Society (AlgoSoc). Her overarching mission within this broad domain: to create positive social impact through a transdisciplinary methodology. As a forward-thinking Erasmus Professor, she is the initiator of the ‘radicareful’ movement AICON, which is engaged in successful crosssectoral collaborations at the intersection of science, society, and art, both within and outside the university.
You work with various disciplines on AI in society. What do you see as the added value of art in this context?
'Artificial intelligence in society is an abstract subject. Art helps to make it clearer. Artists are good at depicting new subjects. They can help us imagine what AI can mean. And collaborating on art helps enormously in getting the conversation about AI started. While creating a self-portrait based on an AI image, people break free from their own framework, agenda, and ego. And it leads to very enjoyable and valuable conversations. You start talking about AI, and in no time at all, the conversation moves on to related topics that are not abstract at all. For example, people wonder whether they will lose their jobs to AI, they wonder whether they get satisfaction from their work. If you no longer have to work, what is important in your life? What values really matter?
At AICON, AICON | Erasmus University Rotterdam, we work together with citizens, artists, and scientists on an equal footing to explore the possibilities and challenges of AI. This raises questions such as: what about equality? What are the opportunities and risks of AI? The people who benefit from AI are different from those who are disadvantaged by it. How can you ensure that everyone experiences the benefits? AI has a huge impact on our lives. It naturally challenges you to think about your norms and values.
'In fact, that is a common thread in co-design research: in everything we do, we make sure that the various parties are at the table and that everyone has a voice'
Moniek Buijzen
AICON's approach is very connective. The conversations quickly become more profound. By starting to explore the questions together, you end up with wonderful conversations. In fact, that is a common thread in co-design research: in everything we do, we make sure that the various parties are at the table and that everyone has a voice.
We also conduct research into digital media and healthy lifestyles, for example: we bring schools and parents to the table, and preferably diet partners too. And young people's peers and friends. We set up focus groups with classmates. We ask parents what type of research they want to participate in. Or whether their children give permission for the research. That way, we reach all stakeholders.'
What is the common focus of all the initiatives you are involved in? How do you want to make an impact?
'The focus of my research is always digital technology and how we can optimize its potential and minimise its risks. When a new technology is introduced, there are almost always people who fear its harmful consequences. There are also people who see many opportunities and assume that the new technology will save the world. What we now know after the introduction of radio, television, and the internet is that it is always a middle ground. It is no different with AI. It is protopic. By that I mean that we have to find a form for its implementation in society. A form in which the risk is minimal and evenly distributed across the various groups in society.
In the Algosoc project Homepage | AlgoSoc, we compile all the news about research into the positive and negative effects of AI. We have a direct line to the Scientific Council for Government Policy. In this way, we try to share our findings with relevant parties in each project. The partners therefore differ per project. We also try to share the results of our research with society in bite-sized chunks. Together with co-lead Esther Rozendaal, we do this on the BiteScience Home | BiteScience.'
AICON connects residents of Rotterdam, artists, and scientists in an exploration of the social possibilities and challenges of AI. The goal is empowerment. How do you approach that? How can AI be made understandable and accessible to everyone? And how can it redefine the values of a society?
'A good example is the interactive presentation "Unravel the AI-machine", which we developed in collaboration with the NEMO Science Museum. Parents and children are taken on a playful journey through how AI is created. This gives them the tools they need to look at AI critically. An important part of empowerment is knowledge, but also a critical attitude. And behaviour. You learn that by dealing with it yourself. It is also important for young people to share the role it plays in their lives, so that they can have the conversations they need to have. Parents indicated that they had also learned a lot about AI from the AI machine. This enabled them to have better conversations with their children. The same was true for teachers who are looking for ways to put AI on the agenda in the classroom, in an alternative way that sticks better. Empowerment should not only come from us; parents and schools can also engage in the conversation.
My chair is officially called Communication and Behavioural Change. Social change starts with behaviour; the goal is change. At AICON, that works: the conversation quickly turns to something else. That ripple effect is what you aim for. We hope to reach a lot of people that way.'
How big will AI become?
'Some people say it's the new bubble, but when I see how many people are working on it, I think it will become even bigger. On the other hand, there is also increasing regulation. AI is becoming more restricted.'
Young people are co-researchers at the Movez lab. What is the most important insight they have shared?
'What I personally find to be an important insight is that they value their privacy and boundaries. Young people think differently about this than adults. And very differently from what we have laid down in regulations. European privacy legislation is in line with their boundaries and what they consider important. People often think that young people are not interested in privacy, that they put everything out there for everyone to see. But if you talk to them openly, boundaries do come up. For example, they find it very important that their name is not public. Whereas the law is about cookies. You could take that into account. What their peers know or don't know is much more important to them than privacy in relation to the rest of the world.'
The aim of Movez-lab is to help young people become healthy and happy media users. How can you work towards that?
'It is very important that the conversation is conducted in an open manner. That young people are taken seriously, that they can talk to their parents. My colleague Esther Rozendaal and her team challenge parents to have an open conversation about social media. That is also a form of co-creation.'
You work with many partners in AICON and AIPact (the impact of AI on society). How does such a large partnership work? What do the partners do and what do you do together? Where do you reinforce each other?
Moniek laughs: 'It involves a tremendous amount of organisation. What works very well is collaborating and supervising projects together. We have three people in the team who spend a lot of time expanding and maintaining the network and ensuring that we get people around the table. That is the only way to collaborate on a radically equal footing, both within and outside the university. It is precisely the partners from society who are important: stakeholders such as residents, social organisations, institutes, educational institutions, the cultural field, and commercial partners. A broad view from society on issues that concern the whole of society.'
What will augmented humanity & society look like in a few years' time?
'I cannot answer that question, but it is especially important to keep asking it. In my cocreation utopia, we continue to work on this with various partners, such as companies, local authorities, and people like you and me. Because it is so important to talk about how you would like technology to influence your society. What I do hope is that we reduce the risks and distribute the opportunities equally.'
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