Theories and methods in the study of AI

We were joined on Thursday, 03.07. at 9 am by Maya Indira Ganesh for a presentation titled “Theories and methods in the study of AI” as part of the Virtual Colloquium at the UdK. This talk focuses on two recent research projects, ‘Ai in the Street’, and ‘AI for Cultural Heritage’ about the study of AI in terms of its material, temporal, and social relations, emphasising social shaping theories that challenge deterministic accounts about the relationship between technology and society.

Dr. Maya Indira Ganesh is Associate director (Research partnerships) and Assistant Research Professor at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge. From 2021-2024, she was an Assistant Teaching Professor at the university, hired to co-develop and direct a new master’s program in AI, Ethics & Society. Her current research relates to the public and social adoption of AI by marginal and expert publics alike. Prior to academic work, Maya was a researcher working with civil society organisations in India, SE Asia, and Europe on gender justice, digital security, and freedom of speech and expression. Maya is also a freelance speaker, curatorial advisor, and essayist specialising in media arts, culture, and technology. Maya has a doctoral degree in Cultural Studies from Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany. “Auto-correct: The fantasies and failures of AI, ethics, and the driverless car” is drawn from her doctoral thesis and was published in March 2025 by ArtEZ Press. More about her here: www.lcfi.ac.ukand www.bodyofwork.in.