GenZ closing seminar

The GenZ research programme’s (Profi 4) closing seminar will take place on 8 November 2023 12-4 pm at the University of Oulu in Tellus Stage and Zoom.

The seminar will provide an overview of the results in the GenZ project and discuss their relevance in view of human-centric digital futures.

You will also have the opportunity to hear from our invited keynote speaker, Amber Case, a renowned cyborg anthropologist and author who has studied how emerging technologies impact human capabilities and resilience. She will share her insights on designing calm technology to amplify human capabilities instead of overwhelm them.

Programme

12.00 Lunch

12.30 Opening words, Mr. Simo Kekäläinen

12.35 Greetings from the Strategic Steering Group, Vice rector (research) Taina Pihlajaniemi

12.50 Overview and results of the GenZ project, GenZ director Pentti Haddington

13.10 Human-centric development of next generation digital technologies, Research director (Infotech) Marja Matinmikko-Blue

13.30 Keynote (Zoom): Designing Calm Technology to Amplify Human Capabilities, “Cyborg anthropologist”, Tech consultant and author Amber Case

As new technologies like AI proliferate, how can we design them to amplify human capabilities instead of overwhelm them? In her talk, Amber Case will share insights from her research on calm technology, a framework for designing ubiquitous devices that engage attention appropriately. Aligning with GenZ's mission to put humans in the driver's seat of digital futures, Case will discuss principles for building technologies focused on understanding people's needs. She will revisit ideas from pioneers of human-centric AI and calm technology to illustrate how designing for our abilities and environment fosters resilience. Case will share strategies for developing flexible systems and experiences that align with consumer realities. Her talk will provide perspectives on steering innovation towards empowering humans - insights highly relevant for GenZ's pursuit of co-evolving human capabilities and intelligent technologies.

14.15 Coffee / tea and cake

14.30 GenZ results: Panel discussion with the GenZ tenure track professors Noora Hirvonen, Simo Hosio, Marianne Kinnula, Jonna Malmberg, Siamak Seyfi and Jaakko Simonen, moderator Simo Kekäläinen

Welcome!

Amber Case

Amber Case is a cyborg anthropologist and author who has studied how emerging technologies impact human capabilities and resilience. Her research aligns with the GenZ programme's goals to understand human-technology co-evolution and build human-centric digital futures. Case is the author of Calm Technology, Ubiquitous Computing, Designing With Sound and A Kid's Book About Technology. She is a former fellow at MIT's Center for Civic Media and Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Case was previously the co-founder and CEO of location-based software company Geoloqi, acquired by Esri.

GenZ research programme

Generation Z and Beyond: Co-evolution of Human Capabilities and Intelligent Technologies in the 21st Century (GenZ) research programme (2018-2023) aims to respond to the challenges rapidly developing new technologies will have on human lives in the 21st century. GenZ aims to strengthen human capabilities, anticipate future challenges and increase human resilience through world-class interdisciplinary research. We do not want to take humans for granted but turn this perspective inside out and ask the question differently: What if the digital future was not driven by digital technologies but by humans? What do we need to do to strengthen human skills and capabilities and to enable a human-driven digital future?

The GenZ (Profi 4) programme is funded by the Research Council of Finland (former Academy of Finland) and the University of Oulu. The main research themes are Co-evolution, Co-creation and Resilience. Read more about GenZ research themes from oulu.fi/genz