we research power and contestation in communication infrastructures. the critical infrastructure lab aims to co-develop alternative infrastructural futures that center people and planet over capital and control. we develop research insights, policy recommendations, and build community around three overlapping areas: geopolitics, standards, environment.

Our main research question is: ‘What can generative interconnections between people, planet, and networks look like in times of geopolitical and environmental crises?’ if you are interested in our work, the following publications can function as entry points: environment Report Op-ed | geopolitics Paper Paper | standards Report Paper

if you want to get involved in the work of the lab, a good first step is to join the environment or the infrastructure bi-weekly reading groups.

upcoming activities

open reading group infrastructure reading group

open reading group environment reading group

talk - presentation - panel Brown Bag Session on Environment and Tech April 2025

talk - presentation - panel The Digital and Analog Ramifications of AI at the Milton Wolf Seminar on Media & Diplomacy April 2025

workshop Data Walk Workshop May 2025

publications

statement Within Bounds: Limiting AI's environmental impact. Joint statement from civil society for the AI Action Summit, prepared by Green Screen Coalition, Green Web Foundation, Beyond Fossil Fuels, Aspiration, and the critical infrastructure lab and signed by 100 civil society organizations, February 2025

book chapter Wartime Transformation of Novaya Gazeta by Dmitry Kuznetsov, January 2025

podcast Buy Your AI A Drink, It's Thirsty! with Fieke Jansen, Çağ Akarken podcast

report chapter predatory delay and other myths of “sustainable ai”, redirecting europe's ai industrial policy; from competitiveness to public interest fieke jansen & michelle thorne October 2024

paper The Practice of Predictive Identification: Optimising for Organisational Needs Surveillance & Society Vol. 22 No. 3, Fieke Jansen. 2024

see more

people and governance

people

niels ten oever

maxigas

fieke jansen

sarah vorndran

dmitry kuznetsov

eric zhang

gargi sharma

fellows

corinne cath

andreas baur

jen liu

Thymen Gomperts

Zuza Warso

Nai Lee Kalema

becoming a fellow

former fellows & staff

Szilvia Mondel

ellen strickland

vasilis ververis

jenna ruddock

jef ausloos

senka hadzic

nadia gorchakova