App Studies

✨📗 Out now: ‘Appification in the Age of AI: Exploring Embeddedness, Visibility, and Dependency’ (ASI Sprint Report No. 3), edited by @fvandervlist & @esthr. 🔗Download/read more: appstudies.org/research-outpu… #AppStudies #AI

✨📚 The book Platforms: A Critical Introduction by @silvertje and @fvandervlist is now available from Polity!

Building directly on previous work, this report examines the 'appification of AI' by focusing on AI's embeddedness, visibility, and dependency as it systematically transitions into an invisible, foundational infrastructure, redistributing power towards dominant platforms.

This 3rd ASI Sprint Report stems from the 2025–26 Master’s course ‘Appification’ at the University of Amsterdam, and the 2nd iteration of our Cultural Data & AI Master’s Embedded Research Project ‘The Appification of AI’. We’re proud to showcase the work of/with our students.

✨📗 Out now: ‘Appification in the Age of AI: Exploring Embeddedness, Visibility, and Dependency’ (ASI Sprint Report No. 3), edited by @fvandervlist & @esthr. 🔗Download/read more: appstudies.org/research-outpu… #AppStudies #AI

Building on recent and ongoing work, the chapters explore how AI is being ‘appified’ (culturally, economically), deployed, and distributed across mobile app stores, cloud infrastructure marketplaces, and emerging model marketplaces such as the new GPT Store.

This 2nd ASI Sprint Report stems from the 2024–25 Master’s course ‘Appification’ at the University of Amsterdam, and our new Cultural Data & AI Master’s Embedded Research Project ‘The Appification of AI’. We’re proud to showcase the work of/with our students.

✨📗 ‘Appification in the Age of AI: Exploring AI App Cultures and Economies’ (ASI Sprint Report No. 2), edited by @fvandervlist & @esthr. 🔗Download/read more: appstudies.org/research-outpu… #AppStudies #AI

🕟15:30 |📍Discovery 1|📱‘Exploring Appification’—on ‘super-appification’ & ‘AI appification’ w/ @silvertje, @esthr, @mdieter, @DugStef – @appstudies Would look forward to seeing you there!

Excited to share our chapter on the 'Platform' metaphor (w/ @fvandervlist) in this great Digital Media Metaphors book (ed. by @farkasjohan @MarcusJMaloney). It provides an intro to platform studies & concept of platformization. Available here: dx.doi.org/10.4324/978103… (or DM me!)

🔍The Sprint Report Series aims to explore the phenomenon of ‘appification’ and its societal, cultural, and political-economic impacts worldwide. This series is dedicated to critical app studies inquiry and showcases ongoing research by ASI researchers and Master’s students.

This 1st ASI Sprint Report stems from this year’s Master’s course ‘Appification’ at the University of Amsterdam. 🎓The chapters present student research from the course's concluding app-studies data sprint. We are proud to showcase the hard work of our students.

✨New publication: ‘The Nationality of Apps: Exploring National App Cultures and Economies’ (ASI Sprint Report No. 1), eds @fvandervlist @esthr. 🔗Download/read more: appstudies.org/research-outpu… #AppStudies #Appification

New article on the convergence of Big Tech and AI, with Microsoft, Amazon, and Google’s cloud infrastructure and marketplaces facilitating the distribution and commercialization of AI apps, integrating AI into new sectors and industries. #BigAI

✨ New article: Chao J, van Geenen D, Gerlitz C and van der Vlist FN (2024) Digital Methods for Sensory Media Research: Toolmaking as a Critical Technical Practice”. In: Convergence, special issue on Critical Technical Practice(s) in Digital Research. doi.org/10.1177/135485…

📢 Exciting news: our latest article on ‘Super-appification’ is now out in New Media & Society! 🚀 We delve into the rise of ‘super apps’, exploring their characteristics, origins, and global impact 🌍 #SuperApps Read: doi.org/10.1177/146144… (OA) w/ @silvertje @mdieter @esthr !

Presenting twice at #aoir2023 in Philly tomorrow (Go Phillies⚾️): first, on AI and cloud platforms (P5) w/ @silvertje and next, on super apps and mobile platforms (P36) w/ @silvertje and @esthr. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Wrapping up my journey as a Postdoc at @UU_GDS and @UUMediaCulture, Utrecht University, and @mediaofcoop, University of Siegen. Thrilled to announce—for those I haven't spoken to yet—my return to @UvA_Amsterdam’s Department of Media Studies as an Assistant Professor next month!☀️

For those present, I’ll be presenting ongoing research on super apps with @silvertje, @mdieter, & @esthr in panel 1.5! 🌞 #appstudies

Anne Helmond @silvertje spoke remotely from @UniUtrecht on researching mobile communications. Her plenary discussed appification, which is the process of integrating parts of daily life into mobile applications.