Dr Sebastián Lehuedé

Sebastián’s research focuses on the governance of digital technologies from a global social justice perspective. His current project explores the connection between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and environmental justice. For this project, he engaged with digital rights, environmental and Indigenous groups mobilising against a water-intensive data centre and lithium extraction in Chile. In the past, Sebastián investigated the governance of the vast volumes of astronomy data being produced in the Atacama Desert, Chile, from the perspective of Latin American decolonial thought. He has published articles on data friction, digital sovereignty and reflexivity in critical data studies. Sebastián collaborated with research teams on the ethics of the Internet of Things (LSE) and digital platforms for human rights (University of Cambridge).

Sebastián holds a PhD in Data, Networks and Society from the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and was awarded the 2022 Dissertation Award by the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR).

Teaching

Sebastián designed and taught the module 'Technology and Global Social Justice' in 2022 at the Department of Politics and International Studies (University of Cambridge).

Affiliations

Sebastián is a fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights (Harvard University), the Centre of Governance and Human Rights (University of Cambridge) and Futures of Artificial Intelligence Research (three universities in Chile). He is also a member of the Tierra Común network of activists and researchers.

Selected publications

• Lehuedé, S. (forthcoming). An Elemental Ethics for Artificial Intelligence: Water as Resistance Within AI’s Value Chain. AI & Society (accepted, pre-print available).
• Lehuedé, S. (2024). The Double Helix of Data Extraction: Radicalising Reflexivity in Critical Data Studies. Technology and Regulation.
• Lehuedé, S. (2024). An Alternative Planetary Future? Digital Sovereignty Frameworks and the Decolonial Option. Big Data & Society.
• Lehuedé, S. (2022). When Friction Becomes the Norm: Antagonism, Discourse and Planetary Data Turbulence. New Media & Society.
• Lehuedé, S. (2023). The Coloniality of Collaboration: Sources of Epistemic Obedience in Data-Intensive Astronomy in Chile. Information, Communication & Society.

Expertise and public engagement

Sebastián has co-organised workshops and talks on data centre activism (Alan Turing Institute’s Postdoctoral Enrichment Award), reflexivity in critical data studies and digital sovereignty. Outside academia, he has collaborated with organisations such as Berlin-based AlgorithmWatch, Chilean-based Derechos Digitales, Oxfam International and the Constitutional Convention in Chile. When it comes to talks, he has been invited by the Barcelona Municipality, the Singapore Biennale and other instances. Sebastián has published knowledge exchange articles in outlets such as Progressive International and Open Democracy and been interviewed by sustAIn magazine and Anti-Dystopians podcast.

• Lehuedé, S. (2023). AI is Global, but the UK Government’s Summit is Insular. Media@LSE Blog.
• Lehuedé, S. (2022). Big Tech’s New Headache: Data Centre Activism Flourishes Across the World. Media@LSE Blog.
• Lehuedé, S., Caamaño, F., Keller, F., Zuleta, A., Peña, P., Saavedra, J., Avendaño, L., Freeman, F., & Gónzalez, C. (2022). The Digital Commons in Chile. Open Democracy.
• Lehuedé, S., Filimonov, K., & Higgins, K. (2020). Dissent & Democracy in Covid-19. Progressive International.
• Lehuedé, S. (2020). Can Start-Ups Fix the Ethical Problems of Technology? Media@LSE Blog.