In this last episode of the Data Morgana Podcast we talk about the crossroads of two hot - and perhaps conflicting - topics: AI and climate change. The open source language model ClimateGPT, developed by Erasmus.AI, is a large language model entirely focused on climate (change) information. What are the possibilities of ClimateGPT? And of course: can this outweigh the climate costs of this AI-technology?

In this episode, Julia Janssen speaks with Daniel Erasmus, CEO of ClimateGPT

How can education escape big tech’s stranglehold?

In this episode of the Data Morgana podcast, Julia Janssen talks with Wladimir Mufty from SURF, the ICT cooperative for education and research that is committed to providing a safe, autonomous, and reliable internet. SURF delivers digital services and drives innovation in the best possible way, always starting from public values.

For example, SURF works with Nextcloud, an open-source content collaboration platform that offers a secure and data-friendly alternative to Google and Microsoft cloud services.

How else is SURF improving the digital infrastructure for research and education? You’ll hear all about it in the podcast.

In this episode, we discuss the safety / privacy trade off with Edri (European Digital Rights): an association of civil and human rights organisations from across Europe defending our digital rights. There is this deeply rooted idea that if we give some of our privacy away, we will become more safe. ‘This is a dangerous narrative. We can’t be safe without privacy if we can’t all be free to organise a protest via messaging, share information about a crush or contact our doctor.’

Julia Janssen speaks with Ella Jakubowska, head of policy at Edri about their Stop Scanning Me campaign, with which they try to prevent a European law proposal that is based on this false narrative and would allow governments to scan messages with AI-tools.

Re-watch the Data Morgana Talkshow episode on privacy and safety.

EuroStack is bringing together technologists, civil society, businesses and scholars in order do develop digital sovereignty in Europe: from connectivity to cloud computing, AI and digital platforms.

Learn more about the tech stack of EuroStack in this interview.

Re-watch the Data Morgana Talkshow episode on digital sovereignty

In this episode, we speak with Arnau Monterde Mateo, co-founder of Decidim, the open-source platform that’s reprogramming democracy from the ground up. Based in Barcelona, Decidim offers digital tools that empower citizens to take part in the everyday decisions that shape their lives - whether in cities, public institutions, or social organisations.

From voting systems to public meeting platforms, surveys, and conference tools, Decidim is more than just software - it’s a vision of technological democracy, where the very digital architecture of participation is decided by the people, for the people.

Get to know Decidim in this conversation led by Julia Janssen.

Watch the Data Morgana talkshow episode on democracy: https://video.publicspaces.net/w/fxA6ZvWvwH2Xwq4M99pZDh

In this episode, we explore how the Public Spaces Incubator is helping to reshape the future of social media by understanding the responsibility of media in creating healthy online conversations. A collaboration between New Public and six international public service media organisations - from Australia to Germany - this initiative develops experimental prototypes to foster healthier digital civic discourse, such as polls that nurture understanding instead of polarization. Julia Janssen speaks with Corey Chao about the initiative.

Watch the Data Morgana talkshow episode on social media: https://video.publicspaces.net/w/aYbuseHRxKhs7CD5RdwCx3

In this episode, we dive into the innovative world of Stockholm Data Parks, where data centers aren’t just processing power, they’re powering homes. Julia Janssen speaks with Peter Sivengard from the park about how they’re recovering surplus heat generated by energy-intensive data centers and redirecting it to heat nearby residential neighborhoods. It turns out to be a solution that’s not only environmentally sustainable, drastically reducing wasted energy, but also financially smart.

Watch the Data Morgana talkshow episode on technology and sustainability: https://video.publicspaces.net/w/hynTKeDeuj9yWuqBArxz7u

In episode 2 of the Data Morgana Podcast we invite journalist Réka Kinga Papp from the journalistic platform Display Europe to talk about the dynamics of big tech and how these now determine what news we consume, how we consume it, and where. Meanwhile, journalistic values are being pushed aside. Display Europe offers a counterbalance, providing a diverse range of responsibly curated news, free from algorithms and data-harvesting, ánd with an open source infrastructure.

Watch the Data Morgana talkshow episode on journalism and technology: https://video.publicspaces.net/w/jiqVDa8ZhyCpDMtmtsecsm

"Rewilding the internet means imagining spaces that are open, unpredictable, and full of life — places we choose to belong to, not just platforms we’re trapped in.”

"Not all technologies are beneficial to the wider public… We need a democratic say in what gets developed."

In this episode of Data Morgana Podcast, tech critic and Tech Won’t Save Us host Paris Marx challenges the idea that all innovation is progress. From self-driving cars to generative AI, Silicon Valley often frames new technologies as inevitable — but who really benefits?

Together, we explore what it means to push back against tech-solutionism and reclaim democratic control over the digital future.

Re-watch the Conference keynote of Paris Marx: https://video.publicspaces.net/w/u7oAySLZhjd8FMmL1htBMg