CC Global Summit Call for Proposals 

Welcome to the call for proposals for the 2023 CC Global Summit. If you have any questions about the proposal process, please contact summit@creativecommons.org.

If you need financial assistance to attend the Summit in person, there is a separate process to apply for a scholarship that may help cover costs of registration, travel, and/or lodging. Acceptance of a session proposal does not guarantee scholarship assistance and scholarship assistance does not guarantee acceptance of a session proposal.

Call for Proposals Timeline

• The deadline to submit a proposal ended on midnight (end of day) Pacific Time (UTC-7) on 4 July 2023.
• Accepted proposals will receive notification as soon as possible, likely in July 2023.
• The in-person Summit will be held 3–6 October 2023 in Mexico City. Additional online/virtual gatherings may be held before, during and after the in-person Summit.

The 2023 CC Global Summit: AI & The Commons

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) has come to dominate conversations and activities across our communities. Even the term “AI” is oversimplified and contested, as it stands for a wide variety of machine learning practices and tools with different origins and uses that are not necessarily artificial (as AI is made by humans) nor intelligent (in the way that humans are). Meanwhile, creators are bringing AI tools into their work, researchers are harnessing AI to explore large datasets, and educators are using AI to help build new open educational resources. But at the same time, artists and writers are questioning how AI builds on their creations, publications like Wikipedia and scholarly journals are struggling with automated submissions powered by AI, and policymakers are adopting new AI regulations like those we see in the European Union, perhaps without considering global concerns.

The intersection between AI and the commons is complex, but one thing is clear: AI brings significant opportunities and challenges both to the commons and to CC’s strategy to support better sharing, sharing that is contextual, inclusive, just, equitable, reciprocal, and sustainable.

At CC, we’ve been exploring issues around AI for some time — for example, see our 2023 blog post series and our 2021 blog post: Should CC-Licensed Content be Used to Train AI? It Depends. But the way forward is still not clear. We need to keep going and explore AI’s complexity as a community, so we are refocusing the upcoming Global Summit on an overarching theme: AI & the Commons.

We will come to Summit looking to extend our understanding of AI and the commons, but the Summit will also

• have a wide mix of sessions — like keynotes, panels, community sessions, workshops, networking, art, and music
• include all the classic CC topics — like arts and culture, education, journalism, scholarship, science (climate!), emerging technologies (not just AI!), and the work on policy to make a better internet for all
• and bring together people from across the CC community — like members, activists, creators, advocates, librarians, students, educators, lawyers, and technologists from around the world
• provide opportunities to connect live in Mexico City, and also to connect virtually online for those who are not able to attend in person

We invite proposals that address AI and the commons and/or other topics relevant to the CC community, especially proposals that go beyond standard conference sessions to explore interactive experiences, cultural works, and collaborative outcomes.

Languages

CC recognizes that language can be a barrier to connection and communication in our global community. For the 2023 CC Global Summit, we are publishing major communications in both English and Spanish, and we are investigating how to best support both of these languages in the Summit program. Accordingly, we welcome proposals in English or Spanish for sessions that will be conducted in English or Spanish.

Topics

The proposal form asks for “Tracks”, but there will not be formal tracks at Summit. Instead, think of “Tracks” as general topics in the following list related to your session. The final program will show topics related to each session.

1. AI & the Commons: Exploring the opportunities and challenges that the various tools that we encounter under the umbrella of AI bring to the commons and to CC’s strategy to support better sharing.
2. Better Internet: Exploring how to shape policy at all levels to achieve a “better internet” and what that means in today’s world of a rapidly changing internet ecosystem that includes emergent technologies like AI, the metaverse, and web3.
3. Contemporary Creativity: Exploring issues impacting artists and creators globally and exploring opportunities at the cross-section of creativity, open access, and technology.
4. Culture and Heritage: Exploring how preservation, access, sharing, use and reuse of culture are essential ingredients of thriving and resilient societies.
5. Education: Exploring the content, practices and policy that create opportunities for more equitable education spaces for everyone.
6. Journalism: Exploring the critical challenges that journalists, content creators and storytellers face, and how we can strengthen the media ecosystem with open practices.
7. Scholarship & Science: Exploring the roles open research and data play in addressing the world's most pressing challenges, like climate change.

Presentation Format

Participants from past Summits have highlighted the value of connecting with other participants and not being overwhelmed by too many sessions. For the 2023 Summit, we are looking to have fewer sessions, diversify the kinds of experiences we share, and expand time for face-to-face connection. At the same time, we know not everyone will be able to be in Mexico City, and so we are also inviting proposals in formats that can be shared online effectively.

• Lightning Talk: A 5–7m presentation on a focused topic to be given live and in-person at the Summit.
• Panel: A 60–90m session where multiple people (eg, 3–6) provide different perspectives on a common topic.
• “Poster” Presentation: A graphic guide to a topic that can be on display and may be augmented with your live commentary during a designated time. Exhibits do not need to actually be in poster format. For example, you might propose an artwork, video, recording, game, or interactive display that people can explore on their own.
• Pre-Recorded Video: A 5–30m recorded presentation on a focused topic (to be shared online with Summit attendees and the general public).
• Workshop: A 60–90m interactive session where participants work on a project or learn how to do something.

Examples

To get an idea of what successful proposals look like, you can browse accepted sessions from the 2021 Global Summit (held online).