Wed
15
Apr
Seminars and Conferences
Digital Imperialism. Economy and War in the Age of Platforms and AI
The seminar Digital Imperialism. Economy and War in the Age of Platforms and AI, delivered by Dario Guarascio, is part of the Nexa Wednesdays series and represents the 193rd meeting of the initiative.
The event is scheduled for 15 April 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Abstract
The seminar examines how the original promise of the Internet, spreading opportunities and reducing conflict, has evolved into a landscape marked by the concentration of technological power, growing inequalities, and new global tensions.
The discussion focuses on the role of major digital platforms and artificial intelligence, which are becoming increasingly central in contemporary economic and geopolitical systems. The talk highlights the emergence of a form of “digital imperialism”, based on the alliance between Big Tech and state apparatuses, with significant implications for innovation, technological sovereignty, and modern conflicts.
Biography
Dario Guarascio is Associate Professor of Economics and Innovation Policy at the Department of Economics and Law of Sapienza University of Rome and an external affiliate of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and the National Institute for Public Policy Analysis (INAPP).
His research focuses on the economics of innovation, digitalisation and labour markets, European economics, and industrial policy, and has been published in international journals such as Economics Letters, Industrial and Corporate Change, Economics of Innovation and New Technologies, and Cambridge Journal of Economics.
Guarascio is Associate Editor of the journals Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, and Economia & Lavoro, and is a former member of the commissions of the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies on welfare reform, the promotion of female employment, and the regulation of digital labour platforms.
For more information, please visit the website or contact Valeria Bergantino.
To participate online click here.
The event is scheduled for 15 April 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Abstract
The seminar examines how the original promise of the Internet, spreading opportunities and reducing conflict, has evolved into a landscape marked by the concentration of technological power, growing inequalities, and new global tensions.
The discussion focuses on the role of major digital platforms and artificial intelligence, which are becoming increasingly central in contemporary economic and geopolitical systems. The talk highlights the emergence of a form of “digital imperialism”, based on the alliance between Big Tech and state apparatuses, with significant implications for innovation, technological sovereignty, and modern conflicts.
Biography
Dario Guarascio is Associate Professor of Economics and Innovation Policy at the Department of Economics and Law of Sapienza University of Rome and an external affiliate of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and the National Institute for Public Policy Analysis (INAPP).
His research focuses on the economics of innovation, digitalisation and labour markets, European economics, and industrial policy, and has been published in international journals such as Economics Letters, Industrial and Corporate Change, Economics of Innovation and New Technologies, and Cambridge Journal of Economics.
Guarascio is Associate Editor of the journals Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, and Economia & Lavoro, and is a former member of the commissions of the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies on welfare reform, the promotion of female employment, and the regulation of digital labour platforms.
For more information, please visit the website or contact Valeria Bergantino.
To participate online click here.