One-day conference · Malmö, Sweden · 5 November 2026 · Abstract deadline: 1 October 2026
A new one-day conference in Malmö asks researchers to rethink what ”resistance” means in the age of artificial intelligence. It takes place on 5 November 2026 at Media Evolution in Malmö, Sweden. Attendance is free, and the organisers are now accepting abstracts.
About the Conference
Polls and commentators often report that people distrust AI. Yet governments keep backing AI firms, and the market value of the chipmakers behind AI keeps climbing. Many of the CEOs leading these firms present themselves as fighting ”the elite,” even though they have held economic power and political influence at the centre of that elite for more than a decade.
The conference looks at three seemingly contradictory faces of techno-resistance in the age of AI.
Resistance against AI
In an otherwise polarised time, ”Anti-AI” or ”Alter-AI,” in its many forms, has become a rallying point that crosses the political spectrum. It also stands in for wider movements against centralisation. As AI moves into the physical world, some people have attacked robots and posted videos urging others to do the same. Environmental activists are finding new allies in campaigns against new datacentre projects. Resistance against AI can also give feedback that improves how AI is used in practice. It also shows up in pushback against how AI is represented, in negotiations over AI regulation, and in debates about its public use.
Resistance with AI
At the same time, people use AI as a tool to resist other targets. Cash-strapped NGOs use it to make up for lost funding. Individuals use it to present themselves better when they deal with companies, politicians or their local doctor. Some see AI-powered ”civic tech” as a route to more democratic decision-making and stronger communities. Others warn that the political economy behind AI, including who owns the algorithms and the data, makes it a fool’s paradise to expect these platforms to reinvigorate the public sphere.
Resistance for AI
A strong current of thought in Silicon Valley and its satellites holds that AI is being built as an alternative to the way society is currently organised. The demand for AI appears in projects ranging from private bitcoin-based settlements to AI-focused religions. It often serves as a banner for very wealthy individuals who want to resist conventional politics built on democracy and public authority.
Themes
The organisers welcome abstracts on one or more of the following themes:
- Resisting mainstream visualisation of AI
- Resistance as a source of innovation for better AI
- Underground extremist movements against AI
- ”Anti-AI” as the umbrella of a wider social movement
- Tech bro self-narratives as ”revolutionaries”
- Civic tech and civil society: the good and the bad
- Conceptualising resistance strategies in AI
- Contesting AI regulation
- Resistance across the design, development and deployment of AI
- Resistance by civil servants
- Resistance by everyday actors
- Professional resistance: how workers seek to modify, subvert and/or avoid AI
How to Submit
Send an abstract of no more than 250 words by email to the conference’s main organiser, Michael Strange, at Michael.Strange@mau.se.
- Subject line: RESISTANCE-AI
- Deadline: 1 October 2026
Important Dates
| Milestone | Date |
| Abstract submission deadline | 1 October 2026 |
| Conference | 5 November 2026 |
Attendance
This is a full-day, in-person event. Attendance is free and includes a coffee break and lunch. Space is limited. Depending on numbers, the organisers may also welcome participants who are not presenting.
Venue
Media Evolution
Stora Varvsgatan 6A, 211 19 Malmö, Sweden
www.mediaevolution.se
Organisers
The conference is hosted by the Future Society & Democracy in Europe research group. It is funded by the Centre for Modern European Studies (CEMES), a joint initiative of the University of Copenhagen, Malmö University and Lund University. It is organised in collaboration with the AI Politics Hub at Malmö University.
Contact
For questions about the conference, contact Michael Strange at michael.strange@mau.se.
Whether your work looks at resistance against AI, with AI or for AI, this is a chance to add to a timely, interdisciplinary conversation. Submit your abstract by 1 October 2026, and join the discussion in Malmö this November.