Their work comes at a crucial moment as technology companies advance competing visions of AI development that may conflict with democratic values.

Read the full report: citap.unc.edu/publications...

Key components include:
✨Shared democratic principles for AI governance
✨Commitment to human rights and social justice
✨Framework for balancing innovation with protective oversight
✨Environmental and workforce considerations
✨Proposed research goals across five critical areas

The statement outlines key principles and research priorities for ensuring AI development serves democratic values. The framework bridges U.S. innovation strengths with EU human rights protections, offering a unified approach to pressing challenges in AI oversight.

Now is the time to work on that narrative.

Now is the time to reinvest in your relationships with your colleagues, students, universities, and the academic fields you are a part of to steel them for what's ahead.

Now is the time to fight for your universities.

While there are no clear answers, drawing on his experiences in Hungary, Kristóf Szombati told CITAP and the Knight Research Network in December how important it is for researchers to craft a public narrative about the public value of institutions of higher learning and freedom of inquiry.

"No institution wins if the sector is demoralized, defunded and delegitimized."

Read our full newsletter on the current attack on academic freedom here 👇

As Tressie McMillan Cottom said in a recent @nytimes.com conversation, "Our current crisis is an amalgamation of two tensions: We want the elitism of prestigious universities and yet we do not want them to have any control of our culture or status."

If we allow our universities to be gutted, we risk losing one of democracy’s fundamental pillars – the cultivation of knowledge, critical inquiry, and informed citizenship that sustain a free society.

Lunch will be provided, along with some other fun items (📘👀), so RSVP to secure your spot now!

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Dr. Sherri M. Williams is the author of "Black Social Television: How Black Twitter Changed Television", highlighting how Black audiences shape media industries.

Dr. Meredith D. Clark is the author of "We Tried to Tell Y’all: Black Twitter & Black Digital Resistance", exploring how Black Twitter amplifies marginalized voices and disrupts erasure.

Dr. Meredith D. Clark & Dr. Sherri M. Williams will explore how Black digital communities have transformed TV, influenced representation, and challenged media gatekeepers.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with two leading scholars on Black digital activism!

"We Tried to Tell Y’All: Black Twitter and the Rise of Digital Counternarratives" by Meredith Clark – exploring how Black social media users have built a vital space for resistance, storytelling, and cultural commentary.

"There is no more powerful political tool than occupying the high ground of popular culture." Authoritarianism thrives by shaping narratives—resisting it starts with understanding how those narratives are built.

Read, reflect, and share this tool broadly.

🔗Link in bio

III. The War on Gender in Authoritarian Politics
Gender & identity politics are central to right-wing mobilization. This section unpacks how the Right weaponizes gender to fuel nationalism, suppress dissent, & shape political discourse.

II. Authoritarian Politics in Everyday Life
How does authoritarianism embed itself into institutions & daily experiences? This section explores the economic, political, & cultural forces that sustain authoritarian rule—and how they adapt globally.