Beyond Profit: Public Interest Technologies for Democratic Digital Futures

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Beyond Profit: Public Interest Technologies for Democratic Digital Futures Passed

Tuesday May 6, 2025 15:30 - 16:30 CEST FORUM / AUDIMAX (2nd floor)

Speakers: Felix Hlatky, Gerard Oosterwijk, Matthias Pfeffer, Natalia Carfi, Sheila Warren, Udbhav Tiwari
Moderator: Paul Nemitz

Theme: DIGITAL AND AI TRANSFORMATION

This session explores the development of public interest technologies in the digital and AI age, focusing on shifting from profit-driven models to cooperative frameworks that align with democratic values and the public good.

Digital tools are transforming governance, but not always in ways that align with democratic values. While debates on democracy and human rights in the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) age are widespread, they have yet to translate into a thriving ecosystem of successful public interest software ventures.

This panel explores the incentives driving the development of public interest technologies and the systemic shifts needed to support them. Questions such as the following will be addressed: Who is building these tools and what motivates them? How can we create the conditions for them to succeed? How do we move beyond conventional profit-driven models towards cooperative or solidarity-based frameworks that align with democratic ideals? Drawing from decentralized systems and cooperative models in other sectors, builders of public interest technologies will share bold ideas and practical strategies for fostering a digital landscape that prioritizes the public good over private gain.

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Speakers

Felix Hlatky Speaker

CFO
Mastodon

Gerard Oosterwijk Speaker

Digital Expert and Political Advisor
Foundation for European Progressive Studies and European Parliament

Matthias Pfeffer Speaker

Director
Council for European Public Space

Natalia Carfi Speaker

Executive Director
Open Data Charter

Sheila Warren Speaker

CEO
Project Liberty Institute

Udbhav Tiwari Speaker

VP, Strategy and Global Affairs
Signal

Paul Nemitz Moderator

Visiting Professor, College of Europe
Former Principal Advisor in the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers of the European Commission; Fellow, Global Solutions Initiative

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