Rietveld Sandberg Research
event
Unionizing the Speculative is an informal gathering that invites precarious cultural workers whose value of labor is likely to be challenged under the influence of generative AI. Participants will explore the collective strategy of advocacy through Speculoos biscuits containing AI-generated images.
How can creative workers unionize with generative AI? How can we as creative workers be accountable to AI-led automation? How did linotype and personal computers cause the demise of the International Typographical Union (ITU) which used to be one of the most influential unions in the US? What is the role and limitation of speculation as a strategy in this?

The workshop will be an immediate response to these urgent questions. Using image generating AI Stable Diffusion, we will generate images that will be engraved on Speculoos cookies whose name shares its origin with the word “speculate.” The cookies will serve as a symbol of the speculative fund raising to teach AI labor ethics. The goal of the workshop will be to collectively speculate how this fund could be used and come up with the strategies of campaign to manifest the voices of creative workers about the influence of generative AI to our labor conditions.

The participants are encouraged to bring their computer. No prior knowledge on AI is needed as we will go through the case studies together.

Conceptualized by Noam Youngrak Son @noam_yr during @dreamingbeyondai Residency Workshop cohosted by @hackersanddesigners and @platform_bk

Please email hinoamson@gmail.com for registration.
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research group
Algorithmic Cultures
photo: Nikola Lamburov
photo: Nikola Lamburov
Flavia Dzodan
senior researcher
photo: Nikola Lamburov
photo: Nikola Lamburov