Platformization of Society: Power, Participation and Social Transformation

The conference examined the growing role of digital platforms as central actors in shaping social, economic, cultural, and political processes and norms. From mobility and communication to intimate relationships and cultural production, platforms have become deeply embedded in everyday social life. Against this backdrop, the conference explored platformization as a process of institutional transformation that reshapes social infrastructures, practices, and dynamics of inequality.

The conference opened with a keynote titled “The Platformisation of AI: Platforms, Dependency, and Power in the Digital Ecosystem” by Dr. Anne Helmond (Utrecht University) and Dr. Fernando van der Vlist (University of Amsterdam). Drawing on their recent book, “Platforms: A Critical Introduction” (Polity, 2026), the scholars offered crucial insights into the power structures and broader implications of platform technologies, from the growing role of AI in education to its expanding use in military contexts.

The event brought together 26 doctoral researchers from universities across Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Serbia, Türkiye, and the United States, representing disciplines such as sociology, economics, political science, media and communication studies, science and technology studies, or cultural research. Their presentations addressed a broad range of timely issues, including the evolving role of AI, transformations in digital labour, platform governance and infrastructures, and the social implications of platformization across algorithmic practices, affective relationships, healthcare, and political polarization.

The organizing committee looks forward to continuing the exchange and fostering further discussions beyond the conference.