Datafied Democracies & AI Economics Unplugged: Technopolitics in Smart Cities and Datafied Network States [AAG2026, San Francisco, California (USA), Author-Meets-Critic, Book Presentation]

Abstract

Abstract (Recent Book Presentation – AAG2026, San Francisco, California) This presentation introduces the recent book Datafied Democracies & AI Economics Unplugged , which critically examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping democracy, sovereignty, and economic systems through data infrastructures. Moving beyond techno-centric accounts, the book situates AI within political economy and innovation systems theory to interrogate how platform capitalism and data-driven governance are transforming contemporary societies into “datafied democracies.” The book develops a twofold analytical framework. First, it explores smart cities as key sites of technopolitical transformation, where AI infrastructures consolidate power in “data-opolies,” raising fundamental questions about democratic accountability and representation. While policy initiatives around “trustworthy AI” attempt to address these tensions, the analysis demonstrates that technical solutions alone are insufficient without institutional and territorial embedding. Second, the book examines the emergence of network states, algorithmic nations, and alternative forms of sovereignty in a post-Westphalian context. It critically interrogates the promises of Web3 decentralization, showing how they often reproduce new forms of concentration, including crypto-elite dominance and technocratic governance. In response, the book advances data sovereignty as a contested field—contrasting state-centric, corporate, and collective approaches—and positions data cooperatives as a pathway toward democratic data governance. The central argument is that the key challenge of AI economies lies not in technological innovation per se, but in the governance of data infrastructures and their societal implications. Drawing on global case studies, the book ultimately proposes mission-oriented and institutionally grounded innovation systems to reconnect technological development with democratic values, addressing the enduring tension between frontier innovation and social inclusion.