Gathering from all directions, a flock of starlings will take complex shapes, moving and weaving in different formations across the sky, all for the protection and collective good of the birds.
It’s this trait that inspired the name behind the Faculty of Information and Media Studies’ (FIMS) first-ever research centre: Starling. The Starling Centre for Just Technologies and Just Societies aims to educate and empower communities on the impacts of digital technologies on our lives.
Professor Joanna Redden’s research focuses on datafication, politics, governance and social justice.
“So much discussion seems to happen in a way that disconnects technology from the natural world. We wanted a name that suggests constantly shifting movements, connections and tactics,” said Joanna Redden, FIMS professor and co-director of Starling.
The four co-directors – FIMS professors Alissa Centivany, Alison Hearn, Redden and Luke Stark – have come together in their own formation to create the centre.
Each of the four leaders brings their own unique perspective and knowledge to tackle the challenges digital technologies like artificial intelligence and data collection pose in everyday life.
Four working as one
While they all acknowledge four co-directors is a unique model for a research centre, the researchers see it as a strength that will allow them to answer the big questions on topics such as AI ethics or data collection.
Professor Alissa Centivany conducts research on technology policy, law and ethics.
“We see each other as equals and we wanted that to be reflected in the structure of Starling,” said Centivany, a notion shared by Stark.
“It’s not particularly common in a lot of organizations but we really wanted the principles and values of the centre to be embodied in its organization,” said Stark.
Those values include equity and a horizontal structure where diverse perspectives and ideas can come together, like starlings.
The goals of the centre are broad in scope but focused on their importance to the community, Hearn said.
“Our ongoing mission is to do research into the impacts of all kinds of digital technologies on everyday people who use them,” she added. “We will also aim to find ways to help make those technologies and their impacts more transparent.”
Redden said the team wants to see more debate on subjects such as artificial intelligence and its social and political implications.
“We all bring something unique when it comes to those kinds of conversations, and we also just really enjoy working together,” said Redden.
Concept to reality
Professor Alison Hearn’s research focuses on the intersections of digital media and emerging forms of work.
The idea for Starling was sparked by a previous collaboration of the co-directors at an event called Big Data at the Margins.
That series of panels and talks discussed the effects of digital technologies, AI and data gathering on marginalized communities.
“We started looking at the impacts of those who were on the margins, whether they were geographic margins, economic margins or identity margins,” said Hearn.
From the series of talks and panels, the idea for a robust research centre was born, with the core ideal of informing communities always at the forefront.
Centivany hopes to see the centre foster a sense of community, including research partnerships between Western and at other institutions.
“The other piece is to be more active in the policy space. I think the centre offers an opportunity to gain momentum around policy issues and hopefully make some effective changes,” said Centivany.
Looking to the future
Professor Luke Stark researches the ethical impacts of computing and artificial intelligence technologies.
Following Centivany’s desire for informing policy, Redden said she would like to see Starling communicate its findings to policy makers, so people are better protected from the impacts of technologies like AI.
“We want to ensure people’s views are not only heard but responded to. We can work to build better processes around policy making and ensure that impact is more regularly taken up in decisions made around oversight,” said Redden.
The work is just beginning, and while the goals may appear ambitious, in the rush to catch up to the expanse of digital technology in everyday life, the team at Starling feels their work is more crucial now than ever.
“The real impact of digital technologies, like AI, is that they’re reshaping our communities,” said Stark.
“Having a centre at Western will help us not just develop as a leader in these fields but help get the word out that we are already a leader in these areas and show what Western is doing to the wider world.”
Upcoming events
The Starling Centre for Just Technologies and Just Societies at Western is celebrating its launch with a keynote talk by prominent Canadian journalist and activist Desmond Cole at Museum London on Oct. 2. His talk will take a critical look at the growing use of facial recognition and surveillance technologies in Canadian policing.
On Oct. 3, there will be a day of panels at Museum London featuring Branka Marijan, senior researcher at Project Ploughshares, one of Canada’s oldest peace research organizations, and Louise Hisayasu, project coordinator at Tactical Tech, a non-governmental organization based in Berlin.
The launch will also include The Glass Room, a world-renowned interactive art? exhibition on data and privacy from Tactical Tech. The exhibit features the Data Detox Bar, a tool kit that walks individuals through practical steps to take more control over their online lives.
The Glass Room will be open to the public at Project Satellite Space at 121 Dundas St. in London, Ont. from Sep. 30 to Oct. 20.
All Starling Centre events are free and open to the public.
