About Elena Esposito

• 2001 Habilitation University Bielefeld  
• 1990 Ph.D. University Bielefeld  
• 1987 Laurea Philosophy University Bologna (summa cum laude)  
• 1983 Laurea Sociology University Bologna (summa cum laude) 

• 2016- Full Professor, Faculty of Sociology, University Bielefeld
• 2019- Full Professor, Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Bologna

• September 2024 Italian Academic Centre, Cornell Tech, New York
• August 2023 Centro de Estudios Públicos, Santiago, Chile
• Spring 2022, 2019 Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales, Paris 
• July 2017        Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin
• 2015/2016                  Niklas Luhmann Distinguished Visiting Chair in Social Theory –  

                                                          Bielefeld

• Fall 2015        The New School for Public Engagement, New York
• 2014        Meiji University, Tokyo
• 2007-2010        Università di Scienze Gastronomiche, Pollenzo
• July 2005        University Oviedo
• 1998-2000        Institut für Soziologie, University Vienna

• 2025–2026  Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), Stanford
• 2021 Auerbach Institute for Advanced Study, Cologne   
• 2019-20 Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin  
• 2017        Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities and Social Sciences, Zhejiang 

                                          University

• 2016 Media Cultures of Computer Simulation MECS, Lüneburg  
• 2014 Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America at Columbia University 
• 2014 Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America at Columbia University  
• 2013 Internationales Kolleg für Kulturtechnikforschung und Medienphilosophie            

                                          Weimar  

• 1998-99 Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (resumption 2002)

• 2021 Falling Walls: Winner in Social Sciences and Humanities
• 2009 Ladislao Mittner Award, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)
• 1993 Lelli Award for L’operazione di osservazione

• 2019-2026 PI European Research Council Advanced Grant The Future of Prediction: The Social Consequences of Algorithmic Forecast in Insurance, Medicine and Policing).  
• 2023-2026   PI WP 8.4: The Social Implications of AI: Data and Models, Acceptance and Use of Generative AI and ADMs,project FAIR – Future Artificial Intelligence Research, Next Generation EU.  
• 2021-2029   Co-PI Project B01: A dialog-based approach to explaining machine learning models, TRR 318 DFG Constructing Explainability, Bielefeld & Paderborn.
• 2021-2025   Co-PI Grant Unbiased Bots That Build Bridges (U3B): Technical Systems that Support Deliberation and Diversity as a Chance for Political Discourse, Volkswagen Foundation
   

Co-Editor in chief

• 2014- Sociologica. International Journal of Sociological Debate
• 1992-95 Teoria sociologica
• Member of the board of several scientific journals and publishing series.

Board and Comitee Member

• 2017-        Advisory Board Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften                

                                          (IFK) Vienna

• 2014-        Advisory Council of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) Bielefeld
• 2013-2014   Advisory Board Institute for Advanced Study MECS Lüneburg
• 2010- 2015  Evaluation Committee Villa Vigoni Project.
• Referee for many scientific journals, research programs and funding institutions.

In the last 10 years I have given keynote lectures in more than 20 international scientific conferences, co-organized 13 international conferences and workshop, and gave approximately 150 invited talks in renowned institutions in Europe, USA, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

                   I am the author of 12 books, translated into 11 different languages. I have edited 5   

                   special issues of journals, and authored or co-authored more that 250 articles or book

                   chapters.  

Selected books:

• Kommunikation mit unverständlichen Maschinen(Communication with incomprehensible machines). Wien, 2024.  
• Artificial Communication: How Algorithms Produce Social Intelligence. Cambridge, 2022. Translations published in Italian, Chinese, Spanish.
• The Future of Futures. The Time of Money in Financing and Society.Cheltenham, 2011.
  Translations: Italian, German.
• Die Fiktion der wahrscheinlichen Realität (The fiction of probable reality). Frankfurt, 2007. Translations: Italian, English partial.
• Die Verbindlichkeit des Vorübergehenden. Paradoxien der Mode(The binding nature of the temporary. Paradoxes of fashion). Frankfurt, 2004. Translations:  Italian, Spanish.
• Soziales Vergessen. Formen und Medien des Gedächtnisses der Gesellschaft(Social Forgetting. Forms and media of memory in society). Frankfurt, 2002.Translations: Italian, Spanish, Japanese.
• Unlocking Luhmann. A Keyword Introduction to Systems Theory. Bielefeld 2021. Original Italian 1995. Translations:  German, Japanese, Spanish, Korean.

Selected articles:

• At the Right Time: Temporal Precision in Personalized Medicine (with Dominik Hofmann). Sociology of Health & Illness, special issue Algorithms in Health and Medicine. 48:e70180 2026.  
• Answer Engines and Other Communication Partners. Communication Theory. 00, 1–9, 2026.   
• Does Proactivity Affect Insurance Solidarity and Individual Responsibility? (with Alberto Cevolini). British Journal of Sociology, 2025. 
• The Role of Algorithms in Molecular Tumour Boards—Managing the Gap Between Research and Clinic in Precision Medicine (with Dominik Hofmann). Sociology of Health & Illness47, (4), 2025.
• Performance without understanding: How ChatGPT relies on humans to repair conversational trouble (with Ole Pütz). Discourse and Communication18(6): 2024.
• Algorithmic crime prevention. From abstract police to precision policing (with S. Egbert). Policing and Society, 34(6), 2024.
• Can We Use the Open Future? Preparedness and Innovation in Times of Self-Generated Uncertainty. European Journal of Social Theory, 27(2), 2024.
• From Pool to Profile: Social Consequences of Algorithmic Prediction in Insurance (with A. Cevolini). Big Data & Society 7(2),2020.  
• Predicted Uncertainty: Volatility Calculus and the Indeterminacy of the Future. In J.Beckert and R.Bronk (Eds.)Uncertain Futures. Imaginaries, Narratives, and Calculation in the Economy. Oxford, 2018.
• What’s Observed in a Rating? Rankings as Orientation in the Face of Uncertainty (with D. Stark). Theory, Culture & Society 2019, 36(4).
• Critique without crisis: Systems theory as a critical sociology. Thesis Eleven143(1), 2017. Tr. Portuguese.
• Algorithmic memory and the right to be forgotten on the web. Big Data & Society2017, 4(1). Translation published in German.  
• The structures of uncertainty. Performativity and unpredictability in economic operations. Economy & Society, 2013(42).
• Originality through Imitation: The Rationality of Fashion.  Organization Studies2011(32). Tr. German.
• The Arts of Contingency. Critical Inquiry2004(32).
• The Hypertrophy of Simultaneity in Telematic Communication. Thesis Elevenn1997(51).
• Observing Interpretation: A Sociological View on Hermeneutics. MLN. Modern Language Notes1996, 111(3).