AI: Rethink, Regulate, Reimagine

What happens when AI technologies manage workers instead of human employers? Can AI help fight climate change while also fuelling new forms of environmental exploitation? Will “smart cities” empower citizens, or silently erode civic trust? This book captures the AI Dialogues held during KU Leuven’s 600th anniversary, where scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from across Europe, the U.S., Australia, China, and Africa explored how algorithms shape labour, sustainability, and urban life. Through lectures, working sections, and debates, the opportunities and risks of AI were discussed: from reshaping employment to the ecological costs. The volume brings together these diverse perspectives in a shared call for democratic, ethical, and sustainable approaches to AI—ensuring innovation truly serves the public good.

Leen d’Haenens is Professor of Communication Sciences at KU Leuven, where she chairs the Media Culture & Policy Lab and leads the “Democracy and Civic Engagement” pillar at the Digital Society Institute. Her research focuses on migration framing, media diversity and pluralism, and the development of media literacy and digital skills.

Ans De Nolf is a researcher at the Media Culture & Policy Lab at KU Leuven and the author of a doctoral dissertation on Islamophobia, Muslim youth and resilience on- and offline. Her work focuses on media representations, social justice, and civic engagement.

Bieke Zaman is Professor of Communication Sciences at KU Leuven, where she leads the Meaningful Interactions Lab (Mintlab) and directs the Digital Society Institute (DigiSoc). Her research focuses on how children, youth, and communities engage with digital technologies, spanning domains such as gaming, gambling, sports, and participatory design.