The System Shift

We are living

through a far-reaching systemic transformation in how we communicate, organize, and make sense of the world. From generative AI such as ChatGPT and algorithmic recommendation systems to social media platforms and personalized feeds: digital technologies no longer merely mediate communication, they increasingly shape the realities we inhabit. They influence what we see, what we trust, and how societies build shared understanding — or drift toward fragmentation and polarization. In a world of algorithmic mediation, what becomes of democratic discourse, scientific expertise, and a shared reality?
 
On Tuesday June 9, the Science Café closes the season with an exploration of the co-evolving system linking technology, information flows, and societal change. Maarten de Rijke, UvA professor of Artificial Intelligence and Information Retrieval and director of the national AI innovation centre ICAI, discusses how search engines, recommender systems, and conversational AI determine what becomes visible, credible, and meaningful. Fernando Santos, who leads the Prosocial Dynamics Lab at the UvA, reveals how simple interaction rules and feedback processes generate cooperation, polarization, and norm formation, and how these scale into large-scale social dynamics. Together, they connect the dots between digital technologies, information ecosystems, collective behaviour, and the societal and power shifts now unfolding — and invite the audience to explore these dynamics with them.
 
Yandra infuses the evening with an infectious blend of Brazilian rhythms, from bossa nova to baião, alongside jazz and world influences, offering a direct, analog experience beyond interpretation.