Futures of Digital Services

We are back organizing another event in Rotterdam! This time, we are going to speculate on the futures of digital services, to explore

When? 21 January 2025, from 19h to 21h30.

Where? VONK, Het Timmerhuis, Halvemaanpasssage 90 (Rotterdam) https://vonkrotterdam.nl/

Being human in a world of stacked systems
You probably recognize this situation: you call an insurer, bank or municipality for the umpteenth time and hear the same recorded message again. You already know which numbers to press to reach the person you toned, so you press them without thinking.
When you work for a large organization such as an insurer, bank or municipality, you have to deal with tasks, processes and procedures. It is part of the job, you are part of a system that defines how you work together. Within that system, it is usually possible to remain collegial and customer-oriented– if you take the initiative where it is available.
In recent decades, many new systems have been layered onto these organizational structures. Processes and procedures have been digitized, and now customers or residents communicate with service providers via online forms or chatbots. With the rise of AI, computers are increasingly taking over parts of our thinking and we, as humans, continually adapt.

What does that mean for our services? How do you maintain your humanity in a world of layered systems? Is authenticity still possible? To what extent can you continue thinking independently and forming your own opinions?

On 21 January 2025 from 7 to 9:30 PM, the Speculative Futures network, in collaboration with the network Rotterdammer Centraal (amongst others Rotterdam municipality and Rabobank), is organizing a meetup about being human in a world of stacked systems.

During this meetup, you will start with a short presentation about the (future) possibilities of AI in services. Following that, you’ll participate in a speculative workshop, exploring a concrete scenario, as we search for authenticity in a deeply digitalized future. We’ll wrap up with a discussion on the insights and experiences from the evening.

Agenda of the event:

19h- 19h25: Welcome and presentation by Emiel Rijshouwer on technology and service provision
19h25-20h45: Workshop
20h45-21h: Discussion
21h- 21h30: Chat with drinks

About the speaker and workshop facilitators:

Emiel Rijshouwer is a sociologist and designer. He is co-founder of the Design & Publics collective, where he supports publics through design research to develop a say and perspective on social challenges and transitions. At the Future Image of Technology Foundation he works on a horizon scan - the interpretation of emergent technologies, also in the light of major social challenges and transitions - in the areas of energy, health, work and education, food and agriculture, nature and water and raw materials and materials. What opportunities and vulnerabilities do different groups in society see? https://stt.nl/nl/over-stt/nieuws/interview-horizonscan-2055-kansen-en-kwetsbaarheden-van-technologie-volgens-several-groups-uit-de-samenleving https://designandpublics.com

Julieta Matos Castaño is a freelance consultant and researcher working through her practice https://www.futurescompass.com/- a platform dedicated to helping cities, infrastructure projects, and organizations to develop visions and strategies using futures thinking and design. With over 14 years of experience in research and industry, she bridges technical expertise with design-oriented practices like speculative storytelling and stakeholder engagement to tackle complex societal challenges. Previously a Senior Researcher and Project Lead at DesignLab, University of Twente, Julieta has contributed to inter and transdisciplinary projects on societal transitions and responsible innovation. In 2019, she co-founded the Speculative Futures Chapter in The Hague with Anouk Geenen, organizing masterclasses, workshops, keynotes, and events to make societal challenges more tangible through speculative and participatory design. Julieta also has experience as a change management consultant for multinational companies and earned her PhD in 2016, focusing on dilemmas and multi-stakeholder collaboration in infrastructure development.

Anouk Geenen works at TNO as a researcher in the Department of Energy Transition, focusing on the theme of Social Innovation. In various projects she uses her knowledge on speculative & participatory design and futures research to create shared and supported imaginations of the energy transition. Together with Julieta, Anouk is co-founder of Speculative Futures in The Hague - a platform through which they organize master classes, keynotes and events on the power of (speculative) design to make complex social issues tangible and accessible. With a Bsc in Liberal Arts and Sciences, and a Msc in Theoretical Physics combined with a major in Science in Society, Anouk is an interdisciplinary scholar at heart. She received her PhD from the University of Twente in 2023, where she researched the potential of applying design research to complex societal challenges, specifically focusing on ethical issues where digitization and society converge.