8 May 2026, AIC&S Seminar Series, Dr. Massimo Airoldi; Dr. Alain Starke

In this session, we will explore how cultural taste and everyday choices are modeled, shaped and shifted through data, platforms and AI. Presenters will examine how digital traces and recommender systems reconfigure classical understandings of taste and how algorithmic mediation intervenes in what people come to like and choose. Drawing on work in cultural sociology, consumer research and recommender-system design, the session brings together perspectives on algorithmically mediated taste and recommendations, from music to food, highlighting how algorithms not only reflect but also transform preferences. The session invites reflection on how abstract notions of “taste” are operationalized, nudged and negotiated in AI-driven environments.

The event if followed by drinks!