NMGM
5208

AI Without Bosses

Schools of Public Engagement: Milano

Non-Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Graduate Course
AI Without Bosses
Fall 2025
Taught By: Trebor Scholz
Section: A

CRN: 18407

Credits: 3

As AI reshapes economies and reorders public life, the dominant paradigm barrels ahead, pursuing scale and control above all else. More energy, more proprietary data centers—no brakes. As infrastructure consolidates, tech oligarchs drift rightward, shaping data monopolies, state power, and labor conditions. Growth erodes worker rights, algorithmic accountability, and ecological care, deepening AI’s harm to marginalized communities. Rather than accepting this trajectory as inevitable, this course explores alternative ownership models for AI. We examine how cooperative principles and solidarity economy values can disrupt AI’s extractive model, envisioning alternatives like shared data, public digital infrastructure—including cooperative data centers—and democratic oversight. This course runs alongside the Cooperative AI Conference, co-convened by the instructor, with cooperative leaders, AI scholars, and technologists from the event appearing as guest speakers. Participants will carry forward these ideas—sparking conversations and envisioning bold, cooperative futures.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Schools of Public Engagement (NS)

Department: Milano (MIL)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: Online - Synchronous

Max Enrollment: 8

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2025 (Monday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Open*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 9:50am EDT 6/3/2025

Meeting Info:
Days: Thursday
Times: 12:10pm - 2:00pm
Building: Online Course
Room: 999
Date Range: 8/27/2025 - 12/15/2025