Katja Einola Represents the CRL at Ephemera Theory & Politics in Organization Conference
At , Katja presented her and her colleagues’ ongoing research on the everyday encounters between AI and humans. Their work explores how seemingly mundane events and subtle shifts in large organizations, prompted by the introduction of AI, can lead to unexpected outcomes, such as blurred boundaries between humans and machines and the confusion this interplay creates.
“We heard fascinating presentations on topics including art in the age of AI, ghost platforms, data deserts and digital droughts, out-of-tune human-robot relationships, algorithmic bias, algorithmic leadership, and the messianic hopes and apocalyptic fears associated with AI, among many others. I left the conference feeling both relaxed and inspired. It was a joy to reconnect with old friends and forge new relationships with scholars who have the imagination and courage to pursue unexplored, and even controversial, academic paths,” Katja reflected.
The conference invited members of the Ephemera community and attendees to “envision alternative social imaginaries and foster different kinds of data futures” (Bonini & Treré, 2024).
Ephemera is an alternative academic publication and grassroots community initiative that publishes content free of charge. It engages with contributions that apply or develop theoretical insights beyond the established canon of organization studies. With its critical philosophy, Ephemera challenges the hegemonization of social theory and operates at the fringes of organizational scholarship—continually questioning what organization studies is and what it could become.
Contact: katja.einola@hhs.se
REFERENCES:
Bonini, T., & Treré, E. (2024). Algorithms of resistance: The everyday fight against platform power. Mit Press.
Einola, K., & Khoreva, V. (2023). Best friend or broken tool? Exploring the co‐existence of humans and artificial intelligence in the workplace ecosystem. Human Resource Management, 62(1), 117-135.
Einola, K., Khoreva, V., & Tienari, J. (2024). A colleague named Max: A critical inquiry into affects when an anthropomorphised AI (ro) bot enters the workplace. Human Relations, 77(11), 1620-1649.
