BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:21058@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:AI Empires DTSTAMP:20260421T192038Z DTSTART:20260608T150000Z DESCRIPTION:This debate examines the rise of ‘AI empires’ and the geopoliti cal struggle over\nAI’s future. Dr Nick Srnicek will discuss his latest bo ok Silicon Empires: The\nFight for the Future of AI (Polity\, 2025)\, anal ysing how corporations and states\nuse AI to consolidate power. The discus sion panel will address platform\ncapitalism\, Big AI\, and control of chi ps\, data\, cloud and energy\, with responses\nfrom Dr Anne Helmond and Pr of Thomas Poell.\n\nThis debate will explore the emerging landscape of ‘AI empires’ and the struggle\nover the future of AI. We begin with a talk by Dr. Nick Srnicek (King’s College\nLondon) on his latest book: Silicon Emp ires: The Fight for the Future of AI\n(Polity\, 2025). The book offers a c ritical analysis of the geopolitical economy\nof AI\, examining how powerf ul corporations and states are competing for\ndominance. Srnicek argues th at AI competition has evolved into a geopolitical\nstruggle between state- backed ‘empires’\, particularly in the U.S. and China\,\nwhich deploy AI t o reshape global wealth\, power\, and infrastructural control.\n\nFollowin g the introduction\, Srnicek will be joined by Dr. Anne Helmond (Utrecht\n University)\, who will discuss her latest work on Big AI and platformisati on\, and\nProf. Thomas Poell (University of Amsterdam)\, who will present his research on\nAI and platform power. Their debate will critically exami ne the expansion of\n“platform capitalism”\, in which tech giants scale up models based on data\nextraction\, network effects\, and infrastructural control to dominate the entire\nAI value chain from chips and data to clou d services as well as the material\nfoundations of AI\, including the scra mble for advanced semiconductors\,\nescalating energy demands\, and contro l over global supply chains. Prof. Tobias\nBlanke (University of Amsterdam ) will moderate the debate.\n\n\nSPEAKERS\n\nNick Srnicek is Senior Lectur er of Digital Economy at King’s College London. His\nresearch focuses on t he digital economy\, artificial intelligence\, anti-work\npolitics\, and p ostcapitalist futures. His book\, Platform Capitalism (Polity\,\n2016)\, w as translated into 15 languages. His latest book is Silicon Empires: The\n Fight for the Future of AI (Polity\, 2025). In addition\, he has written o r\nco-written more than 30 academic articles and book chapters for a varie ty of\npublications\, as well as editing two collections.\n\nAnne Helmond is Associate Professor of Media\, Data & Society at Utrecht\nUniversity. H er research places particular emphasis on platformization: the\nexpansion of platforms across the web\, the mobile ecosystem\, AI technologies\,\nan d various societal domains. She focuses on developing methods for empirica lly\nand historically studying platformization\, the politics and governan ce of\nplatforms\, how platform power is operationalized in practice\, and the rise of AI\nas a platformized infrastructure. She is author of the fo rthcoming book\nPlatforms: A Critical Introduction (Polity\, June 2026) wi th Fernando van der\nVlist.\n\nThomas Poell is Professor of Data\, Culture & Institutions at the University of\nAmsterdam. His research focuses on p latforms\, AI\, and the transformation of the\ncultural industries. With c olleagues from around the globe\, he is currently\ndeveloping a research p roject on Generative AI and Creative Work\, which connects\nplatform studi es with ideas from postcolonial and decolonial theory in a Global\nPerspec tives program. And with David Nieborg and José van Dijck\, he is writing a \nbook on Platform Power.\n\nTobias Blanke (moderator) is Professor of Art ificial Intelligence and Humanities\nat the University of Amsterdam. His r esearch focuses on long-term\ninterdisciplinary initiatives connecting art ificial intelligence (AI) and the\nhuman sciences both on new AI methods f or cultural and social data and the\ncritical studies of AI. His most rece nt book is Algorithmic Reason – The new\nGovernment of Self and Other with Claudia Aradau (OUP\, 2022). URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/ai-empires GEO:52.3685931;4.8896879 LOCATION:SPUI25 - Spui 25-27\, 1012 WX Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,books,capitalism,discussion,spui,talk X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

This debate examines the rise of ‘AI empire s’ and the geopolitical struggle over AI’s future. Dr Nick Srnicek will di scuss his latest book Silicon Empires: The Fight for the Future of AI< /em> (Polity, 2025), analysing how corporations and states use AI to conso lidate power. The discussion panel will address platform capitalism, Big A I, and control of chips, data, cloud and energy, with responses from Dr An ne Helmond and Prof Thomas Poell.

This debate will explore the eme rging landscape of ‘AI empires’ and the struggle over the future of AI. We begin with a talk by Dr. Nick Srnicek (King’s College London) on his late st book: Silicon Empires: The Fight for the Future of AI (Polity, 2025). The book offers a critical analysis of the geopolitical economy of AI, examining how powerful corporations and states are competing for domi nance. Srnicek argues that AI competition has evolved into a geopolitical struggle between state-backed ‘empires’, particularly in the U.S. and Chin a, which deploy AI to reshape global wealth, power, and infrastructural co ntrol.

Following the introduction, Srnicek will be joined by Dr. An ne Helmond (Utrecht University), who will discuss her latest work on Big A I and platformisation, and Prof. Thomas Poell (University of Amsterdam), w ho will present his research on AI and platform power. Their debate will c ritically examine the expansion of “platform capitalism”, in which tech gi ants scale up models based on data extraction, network effects, and infras tructural control to dominate the entire AI value chain from chips and dat a to cloud services as well as the material foundations of AI, including t he scramble for advanced semiconductors, escalating energy demands, and co ntrol over global supply chains. Prof. Tobias Blanke (University of Amster dam) will moderate the debate.

Speakers

< em>Nick Srnicek is Senior Lecturer of Digital Econom y at King’s College London. His research focuses on the digital economy, a rtificial intelligence, anti-work politics, and postcapitalist futures. Hi s book, Platform Capitalism (Polity, 2016), was translated into 1 5 languages. His latest book is Silicon Empires: The Fight for the Fut ure of AI (Polity, 2025). In addition, he has written or co-written m ore than 30 academic articles and book chapters for a variety of publicati ons, as well as editing two collections.

Anne Helmond is Associate Professor of Media, Data & Society at Utrech t University. Her research places particular emphasis on platformization: the expansion of platforms across the web, the mobile ecosystem, AI techno logies, and various societal domains. She focuses on developing methods fo r empirically and historically studying platformization, the politics and governance of platforms, how platform power is operationalized in practice , and the rise of AI as a platformized infrastructure. She is author of th e forthcoming book Platforms: A Critical Introduction (Polity, June 20 26) with Fernando van der Vlist.

Thomas Poell is Professor of Data, Culture & Institutions at the Universi ty of Amsterdam. His research focuses on platforms, AI, and the transforma tion of the cultural industries. With colleagues from around the globe, he is currently developing a research project on Generative AI and Creative Work, which connects platform studies with ideas from postcolonial and dec olonial theory in a Global Perspectives program. And with David Nieborg an d José van Dijck, he is writing a book on Platform Power.

Tobias Blanke (moderator) is Professor of Artificial Inte lligence and Humanities at the University of Amsterdam. His research focus es on long-term interdisciplinary initiatives connecting artificial intell igence (AI) and the human sciences both on new AI methods for cultural and social data and the critical studies of AI. His most recent book is A lgorithmic Reason – The new Government of Self and Other with Claudia Aradau (OUP, 2022).

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