I gave the closing keynote at the 2025 Nordic AI in Media Summit April 24 under the title “What could ‘European alternatives’ mean? Three possible platform models in search of your support”.
As a scientist, I prefer to deal in reliably, empirical knowledge, but I was grateful to be invited to think aloud in terms of possible responses to the current moment in geopolitics and tech.
If you are interested in my three possible models, each of which represent an approach trying to solve for a different definition of the problem ( (1) reliance on American tech? Airbus-for-the-internet as national/European champions!, (2) reliance on for-profit tech companies? BDC/public service platforms! (3) reliance on big technology companies? Mastodon as a decentralized, open-source alternative!).
In each case, for every alternative, at every level of the stack, at least three questions need clear answers – what, exactly, is the alternative meant to do, who will fund it, and how is it going to be governed.
It all strikes me as a wicked problem akin to climate, defense, and the future of strained welfare systems – and of a comparable scale and scope, and seriousness that requires serious responses. I hope the models I outline and the questions I offer can help structure how we discuss possible responses and move beyond the declarations and rhetoric that suffice for headlines and a bit of publicity, but don’t actually change anything.
Video of my talk below.
rasmuskleisnielsen.net 