The rise of Tech Occultism – Narratives of AI, Imaginaries, and Digital Cultures in Mobility Control
International Conference on Culture, Crime, and Global Challenges 16-17 April, 2025, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
We invite submissions for a pre-organized panel at the International Conference on Culture, Crime, and Global Challengesthat critically explores the narratives and imaginaries surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mobility control, forced migration, and law enforcement in the European context. This panel focuses on the
contextual assumptions and cultural frameworks that shape the use and perception of AI technologies within the growing conservative political climate, particularly in relation to migration and policing practices.
The selection of papersseeksto unpack how digital cultures, underpinned by a “culture of fear” and the “cult of AI,” are constructed and challenged through both policy and public discourse.
The panel, titled “Tech Occultism”, critically explores the growing mystification and fear surrounding AI in the contexts of migration control, forced migration, and law enforcement. We investigate how AI technologies are framed within a culture of fear,where its technological powers are perceived as unpredictable and omnipotent, often seen as part of a cult of AIthat promises solutions while also amplifying anxieties. Drawing on key theoretical concepts such as Technopanic, Cybernetic
Totalism, and threat inflation, we examine how AI is increasingly portrayed as a powerful, almost mystical force that shapes governance in unseen and uncontrollable ways. This ‘sacred’ framing is connected to Pasquale’s “unlawfulness by default”, which advocates for proactive regulation of algorithmic systems to mitigate the risks associated with
their hidden and potentially harmful influence.
The panel will unpack how these narratives —emerging from a culture of fear and the cult-like
reverence of technology—reinforce and challenge digital governance frameworks in the surveillance and policing of migrants, particularly in an era of rising political conservatism.
Key themes for this panel include: * The narratives around AI and migration control * The “culture of fear” in digital governance * The “cult of AI” in law enforcement cultures * The impact of AI-driven digital cultures on human rights, privacy, and exclusion * Imaginaries of surveillance and control * Resistance to AI in governance
We welcome interdisciplinary contributions from digital criminology, Science and Technology Studies (STS), social anthropology, political science, and cultural studies. Submissions should critically engage with the cultural, political, and ethical dimensions of AI technologies, offering insights into the imaginaries, assumptions, and contested
narratives surrounding digital governance.
Please send an abstract (max. 300 words) and a brief biography to Veronika Nagy at (v.nagy /at/ uu.nl)<mailto:(v.nagy /at/ uu.nl)>by February 25, 2025.
We look forward to your contributions and to engaging in a dynamic discussion on these critical issues at the conference!