AI Policy Lab Day 2025: Highlights and Reflections (Recording Available)

Date & Location: November 19, 2025, Umeå University, Västerbotten, Sweden

The AI Policy Lab Day 2025 was rich in insight and exchange.

Sennay Ghebreab delivered a keynote that grounded Question Zero in lived experience, reminding us that the decision to use, or not use AI is never a static checkpoint. He urged us to think in terms of Question Infinity ♾️: a continuous, reflective process in which risks and opportunities are held in tension rather than framed as opposites.

Daniel McQuillan’s talk added a powerful systemic lens. By framing contemporary AI as a product of deeper structural failures, he challenged us to confront the material and social realities beneath technological optimism. His proposal of decomputing, a combination of degrowth, conviviality, and care, called us to imagine responses that prioritise collective well-being over speed or scale.

Our researchers’ posters reflected a striking level of maturity. Their work is rigorous, thoughtful, and already influencing wider debates on responsible AI. It was encouraging to see how confidently they engaged with participants and how deeply their projects connected to real societal needs (Rachele Carli, Petter Ericson, Jason Tucker, Tatjana Titareva, Themis-Dimitra Xanthopoulou, PhD Mattias Brännström).

Throughout the afternoon, participants brought curiosity, openness, and an eagerness to engage in discussions and informal exchanges between sessions.

The evening screening of Humans in the Loop added an emotional and narrative dimension that tied the day together. The dramatized story, rooted in the real experiences of data workers in India, wove together the daily realities of annotation labour with local culture, personal aspiration, and the power of lived experience. It captured the invisibility of this global workforce while honouring their agency and resilience. The discussion that followed made clear how crucial these perspectives are for any serious conversation on responsible AI.

A full day of insight, critical dialogue, and shared commitment.

📥 Recordings

📄 Slides