RECL[AI]M - Algorithms for the Commons
RECL[AI]M - Algorithms for the Commons

RECL[AI]M - Algorithms for the Commons

Status
Past
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RECL[AI]M is over! Look at the recap:

 

📅 28th of September - 1st of October
📍 Commons Hub | Reichenau an der Rax
🏷️ Generative AI, LLMs, Open Source AI, AI for good, AI and privacy, AI and blockchain
🎯 AI practitioners, researchers, developers, journalists, tech activists
 

General info


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RECL[AI]M - Generative Algorithms for the Commons calls on experts and activists to come to the Austrian Alps, one hour south of Vienna, to spend three days at the Commons Hub and collectively make sense of the Generative AI wave that took the world by surprise, an all ecompassing shift dense of opportunities and dangers, and on “artificial intelligence” more broadly.

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The event is organised by a network of individuals and organizations interested in exploring the potential of LLMs and Generative AI to be a tool for the empowerment of humanity. We find ourselves in a historical conjuncture in which economic, political and technological power is concentrated in the hands of a few corporations.
The corporate take over on technology is the primary issue we want to address. For us, this is strictly connected to the broader challenge of socio-ecological collapse and the specific struggle of democratizing generative algorithms, especially given that these affordances emerged from decades of public and private research but have now been enclosed and monetized privately by the Big Tech oligopoly.

Structure and topics


The gathering was structured as follows:
Day
What happens?
September 28th
Arrivals and introductory day, meant to provide the context and goals of the event, with social cultural and political contextualization of AI.
September 29th - 30th
Pre-defined mornings with panels and presentations and afternoons designed collectively on site using ad hoc facilitation methodologies.*
October 1st
Wrapping up, collective sense making, next steps, departure.*a form to apply will be provided soon

Activities and topics


September 28th: Generative AI craze in context

Social, cultural and political contextualization of the history of AI and sense making of this year through the different lens of social scientists, activists and technical experts.
🗨️#criticaltheory #politics #macroscopictrends #socioculturalprocesses

September 29th: Tools

Tech and practice day, experts presentations and workshops, interesting use cases and case studies, tools and projects signaling, privacy and legal dimension.
🗨️#GenerativeAlgorithms #LLMs #tooling #opensource #legal #privacy #newaffordances #handson #practice

September 30th: Governance of the Tools

Governance and strategy day, how to influence AI affordances through labor movements and blockchain affordances, how to collectivize and democratize AI, how to make it a tool for holistic regeneration.
🗨️#organizing #techworkers #ownership #democratize #regenerate

October 1st: Wrapping up and next steps

Sense making of the event activities and discussion on next steps : concrete collaborations proposals, what are the most relevant issues to focus on in the near future, how to expand the discussions and implement the strategies emerged, how to keep contacts effectively, future possible events!

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Use the toggles below to see how to reach the Commons Hub and read about external accommodation options.

The Commons Hub

How to reach the Commons Hub

The Commons Hub is located in Richard von Schoeller-Straße 9, 2651, Reichenau an der Rax, Austria.
You can use this Google Maps link to search for the fastest route from your starting point.
To plan your trip by train, we suggest using Trainline.
To plan your trip by train, we suggest using Trainline.
The nearest train station to the Hub is Payerbach-Reichenau Bahnof (”station” in German).
Keep in mind that Payerbach-Reichenau is a smaller station, and it might be more convenient, or faster, to search for trains heading to Vienna or Wiener Neustadt, and then getting a different train to reach Reichenau an der Rax.
If you are arriving in Vienna by plane, you can simply take the train route suggested by Maps. Try to avoid the CAT (City Airport Train), unless necessary — it’s a more expensive option that saves you only 10 minutes compared to the standard train.
If you are arriving in Vienna by plane, you can simply take the train route suggested by Maps. Try to avoid the CAT (City Airport Train), unless necessary — it’s a more expensive option that saves you only 10 minutes compared to the standard train.
Once you are at Payerbach-Reichenau train station, getting to the Hub is pretty simple:
  • By Bus: you can buy a bus ticket from the station at this link. The Bus line is 341, and it should take fifteen minutes at most.
All the possible bus runs as seen on ÖBB’s site.
All the possible bus runs as seen on ÖBB’s site.
  • By Taxi: if you are planning to arrive later than the last bus, or don’t want to take it, you can call a taxi. The price should be around €15. You can simply ask to be taken “to the church in Hirschwang”, since it’s very close to the Hub and a good reference point.
    • Flackl-Wirt Taxi: +43 26665 2291
    • Funk-Taxi Fritz Scharfegger: +43 2665 2200
  • Walking: of course, nothing is stopping you from having a healthy walk up to the Hub! It’s only around 5km, an hour of walking more or less, and most of the route goes through nature.
Fastest walking routes from Payerbach-Reichenau Station to the Hub.
Fastest walking routes from Payerbach-Reichenau Station to the Hub.
If you think you are going to be too late for any service, make sure to contact us so we’ll be able to organize a car to come and get you!

Nearby external accommodation

You might want to book an external accommodation to which you can withdraw when our collective energy overwhelms you a bit, or if there are no more places to sleep in the Hub itself:
Offers affordable rooms and is about 10 minutes by foot.
About 4km from the Hub, so you'll need someone with a car, but the place might still be worth it - Princess Sisi used to stay there!
Within 5 minutes by foot, a little pricy but quite fancy.
 
Else, there are plenty more options on AirBnB and Booking.com, just be careful when booking - local public transport is scarce.
 
Check out more about the Commons Hub on their new website!
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Contacts

For any additional question you may have, you can contact us by mail, on twitter, or by writing to us directly!
Contacts
Contacts
  • Mail: cryptocommons@protonmail.com