ONLINE SEMINAR

14 MAY AT 6.00 PM

Streaming on the UdG YouTube channel

PERE PÈRIES, Musical Composer and Playwright. AI applied to audiovisuals and the performing arts

Summary talk: When we talk about artificial intelligence, we no longer talk about what we have to do with the elephant in the room, but about what we do with the room itself. From who decides on the design, who enters, who is left out and what the rules for coexistence are.That’s no small thing.In the artistic world, AI not only automates tasks: it also questions and endangers part of the social value we attribute to creativity. If a machine can produce formally convincing results on a large scale, what happens with the profession, with its own voice, with learning time and with the recognition of who is dedicated to creating? These systems concentrate criteria, rearrange decisions and blur who controls the process and what their agendas are. Who extracts value? Who is invisible?What started in the engineers' laboratories is now at the door of philosophers. Can AI be creative? Answer: what is creativity? Can it be aware? Answer: what is consciousness? Will it take my job? Answer: what is a job?This mirror effect proposed by AI questions the very definition of who we are and who we want to be. Now it’s time to talk about it.

Access to the broadcast

ONLINE SEMINAR

25 JUNE AT 6 PM

Streaming on the UdG YouTube channel

CASEY RYAN LYNCH, Ramón y Cajal Fellow, Department of Geography, University of Girona

Summary talk: The introduction of AI systems is facilitating the technological and geographical re-structuring of work in some economic sectors, such as contact centres Firstly, this sector has been the spearhead for decades in a datafication and rationalisation of work, which in the context of neoliberal globalisation has also facilitated restructuring of the geographical division of work - i.e. relocations.These practical classes are now being accelerated by the adoption of AI. Secondly, the growth of AI applications is driving new work demands in data annotation, remote operations and similar tasks. For example, autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots, or shops with no tills often depend on remote human operators located on the other side of the world. This work is subcontracted through global outsourcing companies and organised and controlled through the same strategies developed in the contact centres in recent decades. This lecture addresses the connection between technological change and the geographical reorganisation of work from the perspective of the geographical political economy, and stresses that these developments raise new questions about public policies, local economic development and employment rights.

Access to the broadcast

ONLINE SEMINAR

30 SEPTEMBER AT 6 PM

Streaming on the UdG YouTube channel

RAQUEL SERRANO, Lecturer in Employment Law, University of Barcelona

Summary of the talk: Given the technical complexity and opacity of AI algorithms and systems, algorithmic transparency is essential to ensure control and accountability in automated decision-making in the workplace.This principle is established in the regulations on AI, the Digital Platforms Directive, and the GDPR.However, the European and Spanish regulatory framework is fragmented and complex, with gaps that harm workers' rights.There is no legislation that regulates the use of algorithms holistically in the general labour market.Furthermore, there is a tension between the protection of fundamental rights and the need for agile application, with lower costs for companies and public administrations, to promote competitiveness and digitalisation.Proposals such as the Digital Omnibus and the Digital Omnibus on AI highlight this tension.The resolution of this dilemma in legal terms is one of the great regulatory challenges of the 21st century.The talk will analyse the scope of algorithmic transparency in Europe and Spain and identify areas for improvement.This talk is part of the Rossinyol project ‘Digitalisation of fair, equitable and transparent work’ (DigitalWORK) funded by the EU ERDF - Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities - State Research Agency - (PID2023-146944NB-I00 project).

ONLINE SEMINAR

22 OCTOBER AT 6 PM

Streaming on the UdG YouTube channel

ANNA GINÈS, Lecturer in Employment Law, Esade, Ramon Llull University

Summary of the talk: The use of artificial intelligence systems and automated systems in the workplace generates significant challenges for workers' rights, especially regarding equality and non-discrimination.Systems often present biases, which are reproduced in the decisions made, systematising and magnifying existing discrimination.Transparency takes on a special importance in achieving ethical, fair, and reliable artificial intelligence, as it enables individuals to understand how their data are processed and what impact they have on their work.The notion of transparency has been translated into European regulation as rights to information recognised for workers and the legal representation of the staff.However, it is a notion of limited and insufficient transparency in a fragmented regulatory framework.In this context, the need arises to adopt a specific regulation, at the European and state level, on the algorithmic management of work, as established in the European Parliament report of December 2025, which aims to urge the European Commission to adopt a Directive on this matter.