Trebor Scholz

Data Commons update: Case Study: GAD EG, Germany * Report: COOPERATIVE DATA CENTERS: LESSONS FROM GAD EG. By Tara Merk. Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy / Platform Cooperativism Consortium, 2026. ia600404.us.archive.org/32/items/merk-… BlockchainGov: "Dr. Tara Merk’s new report, published by the Institute for the Cooperative Digital Economy / Platform Cooperativism Consortium, examines the German cooperative GAD eG as a case study in democratic digital infrastructure. Its central insight is that power in AI is not located in data or code alone, but also in the material and institutional conditions that sustain them: buildings, servers, energy contracts, and ownership structures. The case shows that cooperative data centres can succeed when members share risk, gain efficiencies, and benefit from legal and financial advantages rooted in a trust-based culture. Yet the model remains vulnerable to rising costs, market consolidation, and demutualization pressures."

Tara Merk just released a new (very timely) report on cooperative AI infrastructure📄 ⌛️ The report shows that power in AI does not sit only in data or code. It also sits in the buildings, servers, energy contracts, and ownership structures that determine who gets to build AI in the first place. Big congratulations Tara on this highly relevant report. 📍 Read it here: platform.coop/blog/cooperati…

New ICDE Report: Brazil’s Platform Cooperativism Paradox: State Recognition Without State Policy platform.coop/soares-report/

Today, in the Bangkok Post bangkokpost.com/business/gener…

I've taught this course to entrepreneurs, engineers, religious leaders, robotics professors, and students down the hall at @TheNewSchool. AI Without Bosses. No Silicon Valley consensus. Less of a Western frame. @sama and @elonmusk would hate it. forms.gle/zXadtikEM6atbh…

Billionaires sell you the future. Cooperatives let you own it. ECO RADICALS isn't an academic seminar; its a plan for action. Socialist roots, ecological vision, real business. The reading list they'd ban if they could. Pre-register now. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

@elonmusk owns this platform. He doesn't own you. While he's building his next fiefdom, we're handing workers the deed. platform.coop/blog/ai-withou… Sign up for this course before it gets buried. #elonmusk #cooperativeAI #solidarity #ai @_erikforman @TheDriversCoop

Phakin introduces himself in this essay by situating his doctoral research at Cambridge alongside his engagement with Crypto Leftist communities. platform.coop/blog/what-make…

This year’s PCC conference focuses on Solidarity AI—from platform co-ops to the broader ecosystem across the digital stack. In Bangkok, we aim to amplify voices from the majority world. Apply and help spread the word. platform.coop/blog/call-for-…

@GiuseppeGuerin1 @Uni_Salesiana @Confcooperativ1 @gabrielesepio @CSOGroupEESC @CoopsEurope @TERZJUS_IT You will be great.

In viaggio verso Roma, rivedo la presentazione della mia prima lezione al Corso di Laurea Terzo Settore della Facoltà di Filosofia dell’Università Pontificia Salesiana. Una nuova esperienza professionale che inizio oggi con trepidazione e senso di gratitudine per questo incarico.

What would it take to align DAO labour with the solidarity economy? This weeks article was released only last week, And is called“A workers’ inquiry in Decentralised Autonomous Organisations,” It is the first in-depth empirical account of work environments in DAOs. They show how token governance can replicate shareholder capitalism - incentivizing self-exploitation under the banner of decentralization. They propose “interfaces”, institutional bridges to social protections and public infrastructure as a near-term governance intervention. It is a great great read. By @MannanMorshed, @mpg_dd, @nckhde, Laura Lotti, @otherinternet__ 🔗policyreview.info/articles/analy…

We are pleased to announce the 2026–2027 ICDE Fellows, a cohort advancing research on cooperative digital infrastructure across governance, finance, labor, food systems, and AI, representing 10 countries across 4 continents. platform.coop/blog/icdefello…

Socialist Co-ops? jacobin.com/2026/02/social…

Building a Solidarity Ecosystem for AI ssir.org/articles/entry…

Spain offers real evidence that platform logistics can be cooperative: Givit, a worker-owned platform co-op for delivery, now has 900+ members and €12m+ in revenue. thenews.coop/is-a-co-op-mod…

Follow up to the event platform.coop/blog/when-work… platform.coop/blog/voices-fr… Gallery flickr.com/photos/trebors…

More follow-up: Reflection platform.coop/blog/when-work… Interviews narrated platform.coop/blog/voices-fr… Gallery flickr.com/photos/trebors…

Last week in Istanbul🇹🇷 at the coop AI conference, President Giuseppe Guerini spoke about how #coops can shape ethical AI and held a conversation with Trebor Scholz on digital mutuality. He stressed that AI is not neutral & that staying outside this shift risks marginalisation.

AI is being shaped by the few, with profound consequences for the many. 🌍 In Istanbul, participants from 30+ countries gathered to confront the concentration of AI power. @coop_ai Tara Merk & Morshed Mannan joined the conversation on why traditional regulation is failing. @mpg_dd @MannanMorshed 📖 Read the recap by @TreborS: platform.coop/blog/voices-fr… 🎥 Watch Morshed speak: drive.google.com/file/d/1XGeo_w…