This was also the case for this year’s edition, where the chosen theme was who’s in charge? The programme we presented at Het Nieuwe Instituut demonstrated that, though our future is increasingly shaped by technology, the outcome is by no means determined solely by this technology. Keynotes, debates and workshops by experts from both within and outside the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences examined from a variety of perspectives the complex interactions between technology, society and culture – sometimes on a more abstract level, then again very concretely.
A recurring topic was the key role that civil society still has to play in these developments. Dystopian visions of the future, where American and Chinese tech giants dictate the conditions in which our society and economy will develop, were contrasted with alternatives where agency remains in the hands of private citizens and local initiatives, as well as governments representing the public interest. The assignment for the hackathon, a regular component of our annual event, invited participants to consider how we may ‘Stay in Charge’.