معرفی
Pieter Verdegem serves as Reader in Technology and Society at the University of Westminster's School of Media and Communication and is a core member of the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he teaches foundational undergraduate and postgraduate modules while leading critical research at the intersection of digital technologies and societal structures.
His academic journey includes a PhD in Communication Sciences from Ghent University, followed by an Assistant Professorship in New Media and ICT at Ghent University (2012-2016) and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Uppsala University (2011-2012). These experiences established his expertise in media political economy before his current focus on AI and data society.
Verdegem's research investigates power dynamics in digital ecosystems through two interconnected strands: the political economy of media/communications and AI/data's societal impacts. He champions critical perspectives on digital capitalism, as evidenced by his book Understanding Data, Culture and Society and edited volume AI for Everyone? Critical Perspectives. His work consistently challenges techno-solutionist narratives while exploring commons-based alternatives to Big Tech dominance.
Recent publications reveal a decisive pivot toward participatory methodologies and Global South perspectives in critical AI studies. His 2024 co-authored work on South-North approaches to AI interrogation and 2022 critique of 'AI Capitalism' demonstrate growing emphasis on decolonial frameworks and community-led alternatives to dominant platform paradigms.
Recognition includes:
- Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Verdegem actively supervises 12 doctoral researchers across themes including generative AI in news media, persuasive technology auditing, digital divides in Cuba, and AI's impact on investigative journalism. His research is currently funded by a British Academy award (2025) examining AI's impact on public information trust and an Alan Turing Institute grant (2023) supporting university network initiatives.
As leader of CAMRI's Communication, Technology and Society research theme, he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration with scholars from Brazil, India, and Europe. His recent engagement activities—including a 2022 FEPS Foundation talk on 'ethical AI in a geopolitical world'—highlight his commitment to translating critical scholarship into policy debates on digital sovereignty and algorithmic justice.
