iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 10/09/2026

ThingsCon launched RIOT 2026 on 21 August at Sociaal AI Lab in Rotterdam. I presented "Mud and Models: Does Making Matter for Regenerative AI Speculation?", written with Sunjoo Lee, Lena Trotereau, and Fieke Jansen. Photo: Peet Sneekes.

A man in glasses and a blue plaid shirt stands in a classroom-style space with rows of black chairs, smiling as he leafs through an open copy of the RIOT 2026 report. A green Sociaal AI Lab Rotterdam sign hangs on the wall behind him.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 17/08/2026

John Boy's report "What Comes After FOSS?" is out. It draws on a NIAS workshop with permacomputing, server collective, and local-first folks that I was lucky to join. It reshaped how I connect climate, economic democracy, design, and AI. Highly recommended: www.jboy.space/blog/what-co...

jboy.space

What Comes After FOSS?

The report on my Digital Infrastructure Insights Fund-supported project is now out! It is called “What Comes After FOSS? Inklings From Three Communities of…

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 14/08/2026

Next week: the (rescheduled) ThingsCon Salon in Rotterdam for the RIOT 2026 launch, where I'll present our essay "Mud and Models: Does Making Matter for Regenerative AI Speculation?" Fri 21 Aug, Sociaal AI Lab, Hillevliet 90, Rotterdam. Doors 15:00, presentation 18:00, drinks after.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 17/07/2026

I recently joined a panel at Pakhuis de Zwijger on resident involvement in decisions about AI in the city, the closing event of Human Values for Smarter Cities, where I was lead researcher for TU Delft.

A seated audience in a row of chairs watches attentively in a bright industrial venue, some listening with hands on chins.

Three people on a stage at high tables with microphones. In the middle Munish Ramlal gestures while speaking, on the right Kars Alfrink in a black t-shirt listens with a smile, on the left moderator Natasja van den Berg. Screens behind them read "Continue plek voor bewonersbetrokkenheid".

On a stage lit in pink, Tessa Steenkamp hands the first copy of the handbook "Bewoners-in-the-loop" to Ger Baron. Martijn de Waal and Mike de Kreek look on, with moderator Natasja van den Berg on the left holding a microphone.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 25/06/2026

Tomorrow at FAccT 2026 in Montreal, Timothée Schmude presents our paper "Two Means to an End Goal."

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 19/06/2026

Next week I'll be at the ThingsCon Salon in Rotterdam for the launch of RIOT 2026, ThingsCon's State of Responsible Technology report. I'll briefly present "Mud and Models," an essay I wrote with Sunjoo Lee, Lena Trotereau, and Fieke Jansen.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 16/06/2026

Volgende week dinsdag (23 juni) ga ik tijdens het event "Bewoners-in-the-loop, samen beslissen over AI in de stad" in gesprek met ombudsman Munish Ramlal over hoe je burgers continu betrekt bij het ontwikkelen van stedelijke AI-systemen.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 13/06/2026

Heading to Singapore for ACM DIS 2026, 13 to 17 June. I was an associate chair on the Artifacts and Systems subcommittee, so I'm looking forward to seeing all the great accepted papers presented. Hoping to reconnect and meet new folks too. If you'll be there, do reach out!

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 09/06/2026

Amsterdam wanted a camera-equipped "scan bike" to spot things like illegally placed construction waste containers in public space. Unusually, the procurement tender required a year-long civic participation process, with a citizen panel shaping how the object-recognition tech would work.

The "scan bike" in public space. The signage and QR code, meant to make its function legible to passers-by, came out of the participatory design work. Photo: Michiel Landeweerd.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 04/05/2026

Talked AI infrastructure, speculation, and real utopias with students at Leiden today.

Opening slide of the lecture, titled "Designing AI Otherwise: Infrastructures and Futures," with details listing AI in Society, Leiden University, 4 May 2026, and presenter Kars Alfrink (Delft University of Technology). The background is a glitchy, pixelated artwork in blues and reds by Elise Racine for Better Images of AI.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 14/04/2026

Ik ben geïnterviewd door Trouw over het RDW-besluit om Tesla's met een rijhulpsysteem toe te laten op Nederlandse wegen. Wie is verantwoordelijk als er iets misgaat? Het antwoord lijkt eenvoudig: de bestuurder. Maar het zit ingewikkelder in elkaar.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 03/04/2026

What better place to explore regenerative community computing than at Creative Coding Utrecht, home of artist Sunjoo Lee's electric garden?

Illustrated visual map by Lena Trotereau titled "Soil to Servers: CCU Workshop," capturing themes from the workshop in hand-drawn style. A large pink crystal-like structure labeled "Electric Garden" dominates the upper left. Surrounding it are handwritten concepts including "low-tech infrastructure," "repurposing e-waste," "scarcity prompts creativity," "moving from extractive mindset," "collective action," "living in rhythm with nature," and "how to make all regenerative?" At the top, four circular icons outline the workshop flow: mud in a jar, create circuit, reflect and discuss, and present future vision. Figures throughout the drawing touch grass, use laptops, tend to plants, and gather in groups. The bottom right shows people holding a bowl of soil.

Sunjoo Lee presenting at the Soil to Servers workshop in a cozy, wood-paneled room. She stands in a purple sweater beside a large screen displaying a diagram labeled "Inside each cell," which shows the inner workings of a microbial fuel cell with labeled components including the anode, cathode, plant, and electrical wires. An easel with a sketch is visible to her left.

Close-up of a hands-on demonstration at the workshop. On a wooden table, glass jars filled with mud and soil serve as microbial fuel cells, connected by wires to a breadboard circuit and a small clock face. A red multimeter sits nearby. Sunjoo Lee's hand reaches in to adjust a component while participants look on.

Sunjoo Lee leaning over a table arranged with multiple glass jars containing soil and organic matter, each fitted with wires as part of a microbial fuel cell setup. A digital multimeter on the left displays a reading. Another workshop facilitator stands beside her. In the background, a poster with a QR code and text is partially visible.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 25/03/2026

It is always a pleasure to bring a design research perspective to a new context. Today, I presented my talk, "Designing AI for Autonomy as a Political Project," at the Dutch Data Protection Authority's AI & Algorithm Seminar.

Title slide reading "Designing AI for Autonomy as a Political Project" by Kars Alfrink, TU Delft. Presented at the AI & Algorithm Seminar 2026, Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, 25 March, ECC Leiden. The URL contestable.ai appears at the bottom. Black bold text on a white background.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 23/03/2026

Started the week with the distinct pleasure of delivering a guest lecture on ethical issues in AI for our second-year bachelor students in Aerospace Engineering.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 17/03/2026

We (Sunjoo, Fieke, Lena, and I) will conduct a second iteration of our workshop on mud batteries and computing infrastructure titled "Soil to Servers" at Creative Coding Utrecht during the Week of the Circular Economy next week. creativecodingutrecht.nl/en/calendar/...

A breadboard circuit with colorful wires and alligator clips sits on soil beside a potted plant, part of a microbial fuel cell workshop where participants generate electricity from mud to power small electronic devices.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 10/03/2026

I'll be speaking on human autonomy and AI at the Dutch Data Protection Authority's annual seminar on AI and algorithms. www.aanmelder.nl/174190/aanme...

aanmelder.nl

AI- & Algoritmeseminar 2026 - Aanmelden

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 05/03/2026

Enjoyed attending the launch of the 4TU.Design United Research School. Jealous of all those Dutch design research PhDs who will undoubtedly benefit tremendously from its current and future course offerings. www.4tu.nl/du/Research-...

4tu.nl

Research School

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 15/01/2026

Brief report of the "From Mud to Models" workshop on regenerative AI futures organized by Fieke Jansen, Sunjoo Lee, Lena Trotereau, and me at TH/NGS 2025.

Workshop participants gathered around a wooden table covered with glass jars filled with dark, muddy material, wires, and electronic components. Several people lean in to examine and connect microbial fuel cells, while others observe and smile. A digital multimeter and various electrodes are visible. A screen in the background shows a presentation, and workshop materials are scattered across the rustic tabletop.

Close-up of a microbial fuel cell: a glass jar filled with layered dark mud and water, topped with a black clock mechanism with red clock hands. Yellow and red wires connect the jar to a digital multimeter, which displays '0.00'. Additional clock mechanisms and electronic components are visible in the background on a wooden workshop table.

A participant with arm tattoos draws with a blue marker on a large paper template during the scenario-building phase. The paper features hand-drawn sketches, including a wave/bird illustration and handwritten notes about ‘unpredictable energy cadence’ and ‘EU Law of Bacteria.’ Surrounding the workspace are glass jars with mud batteries, a multimeter, and colored markers.

Illustrated visual summary titled 'From Mud to Models' by Lena Trotereau for ThingsCon 2025. The colorful drawing in pink, blue, and white shows workshop concepts: people collaborating around an 'Electric Garden' table with mud batteries, an optimization stopwatch, measurement tools, a harvest station with plants, and a 'Living Energy' jar with bacteria. A circular workflow illustrates four steps of the process, featuring the quote ‘Together we know more’ and themes such as teamwork, utilizing local soil, and adhering to nature's rhythm.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 06/01/2026

Had a great time recording this hot take about how "a different AI is possible" at TH/NGS 2025 with Peet Sneekes at the end of last year. youtu.be/OhvEZz0eJk4?...

youtu.be

"Cute, small, utopian AI is possible" - ThingsCon 2025 Hot Take 03 - Kars Alfrink

YouTube video by ThingsCon

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 18/12/2025

A look back on the past 6 months of "doing science" as a postdoc at TU Delft, working on contestable AI. Quite a few conference talks and workshops in this one. It was nice to engage with a wide range of communities. leapfrog.nl/blog/archive...

leapfrog.nl

Postdoc update – December 2025 – Leapfroglog

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 15/12/2025

Een andere AI is mogelijk. Als jij je, net als ik, zorgen maakt over beperkte economische belangen die de ontwikkeling van AI domineren, dan nodig ik je uit deze brief te ondertekenen en te delen, waarin wij onze politici oproepen om te werken aan AI-beleid dat bijdraagt aan sociale vooruitgang.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 09/12/2025

On strike today, and off to Amsterdam in a bit to join my colleagues at the demo. Stop the cuts to higher education.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 02/12/2025

Next week, I will be at Dam Square in Amsterdam together with my colleagues to continue urging the parties forming the government not to make cuts to higher education. #woinactie www.aob.nl/actueel/stak...

aob.nl

Kom op 9 december in actie tegen de sloop van het hoger onderwijs

Op 9 december komen we opnieuw in actie tegen de bezuinigingen op het hoger onderwijs. Ben jij er bij? Stop de sloop!

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 01/12/2025

At this year's ThingsCon TH/NGS conference, Fieke Jansen, Sunjoo Lee, Lena Trotereau, and myself will run a workshop that explores regenerative futures for community AI. thingscon.org/from-mud-to-...

thingscon.org

From Mud to Models – ThingsCon

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 28/11/2025

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting a delegation from Denmark and the UK for a full-day workshop about Contestable AI at TU Delft. www.tudelft.nl/2025/io/dece...

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 26/11/2025

Looking forward to collectively exploring permacomputing, server collectives, and networks of consent at NIAS today and tomorrow. Many thanks to John Boy for the invitation. www.jboy.space/nias-worksho...

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 21/11/2025

Had a great time presenting on designing AI work tools that preserve worker autonomy at the Enterprise UX conference today. My slides are available on my website, as usual. contestable.ai/wp-content/u...

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 11/11/2025

Next week, I am speaking at Enterprise UX about designing AI-enabled work tools that promote autonomy. May contain references to Office Space and Luddism. Looking forward to it. www.enterpriseux.nl/program-2025...

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 19/09/2025

I had a great time presenting at the Politics of AI symposium at Goldsmiths. Many thanks to Dan McQuillan, Fieke Jansen, Jo Lindsay Walton, and Pat Brody for inviting me and putting together such a thought-provoking program.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 15/09/2025

Excited to share my People's Compute research project ideas at the Politics of AI symposium at Goldsmiths, organized by @danmcquillan.bsky.social and others, this Thursday. www.criticalinfralab.net/preview/?id=...

criticalinfralab.net

critical infrastructure lab » preview

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 21/07/2025

One year into my postdoc at Delft University of Technology, not sure where the time went. Quite the year. 🧵

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 20/06/2025

Human autonomy was the driving value behind my PhD research on contestable AI, and continues to be of great interest to me. So I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Design for Human Autonomy conference.

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 12/06/2025

Had a wonderful time sharing my ideas on how to approach learning in a world that includes GenAI machines, from a design perspective, at LXDCON’25. A big thank you to Niels Floor and Shapers for the invitation. You can find my slides on my website here: contestable.ai/presentations/

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 10/06/2025

As always, it was a great pleasure to present my contribution to the RIOT 2025 publication, the essay "Embodied AI and Collective Power: Designing Democratic Generative Things" at the ThingsCon Salon last Friday.

Kars Alfrink presenting at the ThingsCon Salon on June 6, 2025, in Rotterdam.

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 06/06/2025

Our government may have fallen, but the cuts to education are still on the table. Off to strike we go, again, then. June 10, 12:00, Amsterdam Dam Square. Hope to see many of my colleagues and comrades there. www.fnv.nl/cao-sector/o...

fnv.nl

Kabinet sloopt hoger onderwijs - 10 juni landelijke stakingsdag

Kom in actie tegen de bezuinigingen op het hoger onderwijs. Meld je nu aan!

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Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 27/05/2025

Highly recommended event coming up next week exploring alternative viewpoints on transparent AI that are more democratic. Includes talks by members of a transdisciplinary research consortium I am part of. www.linkedin.com/posts/cristi...

linkedin.com

We are radically re-imagining how we design AI. Do you want to join us?… | Cristina Zaga 🟥

We are radically re-imagining how we design AI. Do you want to join us? First JEDAI Network (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in AI) event dedicated to: Radical Transparency in AI: Design...

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 23/05/2025

Blogged a brief bit on how I think about large language models these days. leapfrog.nl/blog/archive...

leapfrog.nl

On how to think about large language models - Leapfroglog

Kars Alfrink @kars.leapfrog.nl · 22/05/2025

I will be at the ThingsCon RIOT unconference to explore the design of 'generative things' and discuss my essay titled "Embodied AI and Collective Power: Designing Democratic Generative Things". thingscon.org/events/upcom...

thingscon.org

RIOT 2025 – unconference & Salon – ThingsCon

Finished the march by making lots of noise in the center of Delft. Downright therapeutic. Stop the cuts, people. Just stop all of them. #woinactie

TU Delft now marching into the city center. Stop the cuts. #woinactie

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Proper turnout at TU Delft to strike against the cuts. #woinactie