Research

Explore over 500 articles on prevailing megatrends in tech, politics and society.

10

min

How Weirdcore and Y2K aesthetics took over TikTok in times of despair

What style reveals regarding playful nihilism, emotional spending, and dread

1

min

Is AI still artificial?

Definitions are becoming obsolete as tech and science blur the boundaries between the natural and the artificial

2

min

Will generative AI favor the underdog?

The implications of generative AI for tech and talent

1

min

China’s not-so-responsive authoritarianism

What the Zero-Covid strategy reveals about Chinese power dynamics

2

min

The future of crypto is coming: what will it look like?

Regulation, decentralization and combined approaches battle for the crypto throne

16

min

EU's digital strategy: where are we now and where do we go from here?

We should be strategic as we make strides toward digital sovereignty.

1

min

Can art and imagination spur climate action?

Exploring other ways to increase our moral judgement on climate change

2

min

The short-lived revival of Keynes; welcome back, Hayek!

Has neoliberalism really left? Or was “COVID-Keynesianism” nothing more than a short-term crisis management tactic?

1

min

Is artificial intelligence smart enough to create a sustainable future?

Despite a hefty ecological footprint of its own, digital technology has the potential to contribute to a more sustainable future.

2

min

Hungary’s continued development toward autocracy prompts challenges for the EU

How will having an “electoral autocracy” in their midst affect the EU's solidarity during crises and its normative power abroad?

1

min

The planet as an emerging category

On living with – not on – the planet.

1

min

A new dawn for nationalist parties?

For many, the brutal geopolitical awakening caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China threatening to invade Taiwan means freedom is back on the political agenda...

11

min

Vibegeist: rave until the grave

The revival of rave and rage in the roaring twenties.

1

min

Who has to pay the costs of climate change?

Issuing appeals for hundreds of millions in emergency funding to help victims of climate change might soon be a standard procedure.

2

min

"Creative" AI is recreating the creative industry

In the past few months, creative AI systems such as DALL-E and Midjourney have taken the internet by storm with their “artistic” creations.

16

min

To cyberspace and beyond

How the cyborg movies of the ‘90s made us fantasize about mind uploading, sentient AI and immortality.

1

min

How will the metaverse and web3 influence social media?

Brace yourself, the 2D newsfeeds gracing our screens might soon be part of internet history.

1

min

Geopolitical nonalignment in the 21st century

Escalating tensions in Taiwan and Ukraine are pressuring the world to choose an alignment, yet many nations refuse to choose sides.

1

min

The fragmentation of social media

When Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian are starting to revolt, you know Instagram is getting into trouble...

16

min

The early days of cyberpunk

As man becomes machine and machine becomes man.

1

min

The return of industrial policy

The Dutch government is rethinking industrial policy—more coordination is on the horizon.

1

min

AI regulations may see a Beijing effect

Is Europe too late to cause a Brussels effect on AI technology?

11

min

When the selfie becomes an avatar

How Instagram is preparing itself for the metaverse

1

min

Globalization can still be a force for good

A general narrative is emerging that international trade and cooperation are on the decline. Is it accurate?

2

min

Is Texas becoming too self-confident?

Texan rebellion is likely to shake up federal politics in the U.S.

1

min

Picking up the crypto pieces

Companies are on the lookout for opportunities during the crypto crash

2

min

Gen Z chooses anonymity over fame

Why are Gen Zers more likely to prefer online anonymity compared to millennials?

2

min

From labor to exploitation: the dark side of blockchain games

What does it take to create a flourishing virtual economy?

2

min

Resurrecting the dead in the digital era

Will deepfake videos, the latest and most versatile medium to eternalize the dead, impel us to regulate digital immortality?

1

min

Extending the self with Instagram's augmented-reality face filters

Are we moving towards a culture in which our digitally positioned self is more important than our actual self?

Pills, pills, pills

Sebastiaan Crul discusses the inevitability of techno-fixes in a world haunted by crises

FreedomLab Selects: Metroid Prime Remastered

An adventurous and immersive journey to overcome an alienated world and yourself

Are weapons still a sin stock?

Changes in narratives, economic structures and the nature of technology could be altering the status of defense stock.

Human sensors will feed the global mega machine

Intelligent systems will increasingly solicit our ‘help’ to gather data

The return of the incumbent?

A reflection on the demise of Big Tech and the return of industrial incumbents

The case for climate radicalism

The impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt all across the globe.

Rediscovering the collective dimension of freedom

How the classic political philosophy of liberalism can broaden our individualistic interpretation of freedom.

The Deep Transitions Framework; an elaboration

A theoretical and empirical elaboration on the Deep Transitions Framework, designed to contribute to a just, equitable and healthy planet.

De-influencers or re-influencers?

Criticism of consumer society is of all ages, but now it’s coming from an unexpected corner.

Sticky dependence: Europe’s reliance on Russia

Although Europe wants to decouple from Russia, our countries’ dependence is stickier and more complex than we might have estimated