Research
As a cultural sociologist, I investigate authenticity in the context of emerging technologies. I combine my PhD research about authenticity and artificial (un)intelligence at the University of Twente with my work at SETUP Media Lab.
RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
People and societies increasingly understand themselves in the mirror of AI-technologies. Our communications, jobs, relationships, healthcare systems, welfare regimes, city governance, and educational systems are increasingly co-shaped by data-models and AI-systems. AI increasingly (mis)informs us about what is the self as well as the artefacts surrounding the self. Due to society’s preoccupation with artificial intelligence and robots becoming more “human-like”, have we come to overlook an important, inverse question: in what ways are humans and societies becoming more machine-like?
EXPERTISE
Authenticity // emerging technologies // (digital) culture
My research on the authenticity ideal of ‘being true to yourself’ in the context of mental health medications resulted in a peer-reviewed publication and annual guest lecture for the Sociology mastercourse “Medicalization, Healthcare and Social Control”. I consider my previous jobs in healthcare and social services as an important source of practice-driven knowledge on socio-cultural complexity, and have investigated cultural negotiations of authenticity in the following contexts:
• Medicalization (University of Amsterdam 2011 – 2012)
• Cosmetic surgery (Centre for Rotterdam Cultural Sociology 2013 – 2016)
• Social robotics (Erasmus University, department Medical ethics and Philosophy 2017)
• Human-Machine complementarity (Medialab SETUP 2018 – current)
• Artificial (Un)Intelligence (University of Twente 2019 – current)
STRENGTHS
• Writing: SETUP // Vrij Nederland // De Groene Amsterdammer // NRC-Handelsblad // Brainwash // iBestuur // Netwerk Mediawijsheid // Hard//hoofd // OneWorld// Sociale Vraagstukken // Next Nature Network
• Demystifying artificial intelligence and emerging digital technologies
• Contributing to ethical debates on emerging technologies
• Critical thinking
pAPERS
• Beerends, S. and Aydin, C. (2024) Negotiating the Authenticity of AI: How the Discourse on AI Rejects Human Indeterminacy, AI & Society. Visit open acces
• Beerends, S. and Aydin, C. (2021) Negotiating Authenticity in Technological Environments, Philosophy & Technology, 34, 1665–1685. Visit open acces
• Spithoven, R. and Beerends, S. (2019) ‘Crystal ball security’: Towards a responsible application of Big Data techniques in the security complex, Tijdschrift voor veiligheid, 18 (3-4) 75-92. Visit open acces
• Beerends, S. (2019) Book Review The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Delphi – Interdisciplinary Review of Emerging Technologies, Volume 2, Issue 3. Visit open acces
• Beerends, S. (2019) How (Un)intelligent Is Our Collaboration with Artificial Intelligence? Delphi – Interdisciplinary Review of Emerging Technologies, Volume 2, Issue 1. Visit open acces
• Beerends, S. and Bröer, C. (2012) ‘Als je pillen gaat slikken, vermijd je iets wat echt is’: romantische en sociologische denkbeelden in het publieke debat over geestelijke gezondheidszorg. Sociologie, 8 (3), 318-342. Visit open acces