Onassis ONX Glossary
This page brings together a core glossary of terms related to contemporary digital culture: the technologies, concepts, and material conditions that shape it. It was created as a guiding tool for audiences without specialized technical knowledge, aiming to make more understandable the ways in which technology affects art, creative practice, and everyday experience.
Within the framework of “ONX.Showcase.Athens.2026: Human in the Loop,” technology is approached not as an autonomous system, but as a field of relationships and negotiations between people, machines, and institutions. The definitions emphasize responsibility, embodiment, and the cultural dimension of technology, and can be read in any order the reader chooses.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to computational systems that perform functions such as pattern recognition, language comprehension, or image generation, without possessing human consciousness or intention. AI does not ‘think,’ but calculates probabilities through mathematical models. It learns from data and produces results that often appear creative. AI is not neutral: it incorporates the choices, biases, and imaginaries of the people who design and use it. That is why it profoundly influences the way we construct meaning, narrative, and culture.
Works: “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “Kiss/Crash” (Adam Cole)
Tags: #AI #mythmaking #culture
Machine learning is a technology through which systems improve their performance by learning from examples and data, rather than following explicit instructions. It identifies patterns, correlations, and anomalies. What it ‘learns’ depends entirely on the training data and evaluation criteria. Thus, machine learning transfers human values, errors, and desires into the technological system. It does not produce objective truths, but probabilistic versions of the world, which are constantly shifting.
Works: “Kiss/Crash” (Adam Cole), “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser)
Tags: #learning #patterns #bias
An algorithm is a sequence of steps that determines how a system processes data and arrives at an outcome. It can be simple or highly complex, but it always imposes order. Algorithms organize information, rank choices, and render the world computable. They are not neutral, as they incorporate decisions about what matters and what is ignored. In contemporary technology, algorithms function as invisible co-authors of experiences, narratives, and behaviors.
Works: “The Golden Key”, “Parallels” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser)
Tags: #algorithm #decision #structure
Data are digital records of information—images, words, sounds, or movements. They constitute the raw material of digital technology. Data are not neutral: they are produced through processes of selection, measurement, and classification. When experience is converted into data, it loses detail while gaining processability. Data enable predictions, comparisons, and automation, but at the same time reshape the way we perceive the body, collectivity, and the world as a whole.
Works: “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #data #embodiment #measurement
The term describes the transfer of human actions to machines or software to achieve speed and efficiency. Automation does not eliminate human presence but transforms it. Humans shift from performing tasks to supervising them, from decision-making to control. This creates new responsibilities but also new forms of dependence on systems. Automation raises questions about the role of judgment, error, and ethics when agency is divided between humans and machines.
Works: “Handle with Care” (Ontroerend Goed), “Drinking Brecht” (sister sylvester)
Tags: #automation #responsibility #systems
The term originates from Artificial Intelligence and describes systems in which human intervention remains necessary. Humans are not external observers, but part of the operation: correcting, approving, and intervening. The concept challenges the narrative of fully autonomous machines and brings responsibility back to the forefront. The individual remains embedded in the system, not as a sovereign authority, but as an agent of ongoing negotiation within the technological loop.
Works: “Handle with Care” (Ontroerend Goed), “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos)
Tags: #humanagency #participation #ethics
A network is a system of interconnected nodes—computers, sensors, or even people—that exchange information. It has no single center, but rather a structure of relationships. In the digital world, networks enable the continuous flow of data and communication, while simultaneously creating new forms of dependence and control. Their power does not stem from individual nodes, but from their connectivity and scale. A network is both a technical system and a social mechanism that determines who connects with whom, what circulates, and what remains obscured.
Works: “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #networks #connectivity #flow
Software is the set of immaterial instructions that determine how a technological system operates. Although it has no physical form, it profoundly affects the physical world. It defines what is possible, how an action is executed, and what data are collected. Software embeds design choices, rules, and values. It is not a neutral tool, but a cultural product that shapes behaviors, expectations, and rhythms of life, often without the user realizing it.
Works: “Parallels” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “EchoVision” (Jiabao Li, Matt McCorkle & Botao “Amber” Hu)
Tags: #software #code #rules
Hardware refers to the physical devices that enable digital systems to function, including computers, sensors, cables, and mechanisms. It defines the limits of technology and is directly linked to energy use, resource extraction, and environmental costs. Hardware reminds us that the digital world is not immaterial. Every computation has a material basis and physical consequences. Examining hardware reveals technology as a construct that wears down, consumes resources, and requires maintenance.
Works: “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos), “Among Us, Among Others” (AUEB x NYU Tandon)
Tags: #hardware #materiality #energy
Sensors are technological devices that detect physical phenomena, such as movement, temperature, sound, or distance, and convert them into data. They serve as the point of contact between the physical and digital worlds. Through sensors, the body and the environment become measurable and computable. Sensors do not merely record; they determine what counts as an event. Their use raises questions of observation, privacy, and control, as they transform presence into information.
Works: “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos), “Handle with Care” (Ontroerend Goed)
Tags: #sensors #embodiment #tracking
Training is the process through which a machine learning system learns from data. It determines what counts as an example, what counts as an error, and which patterns are sought. These choices are human-made and culturally influenced. Training is not a technical step, but a decisive design choice that shapes the system’s future behavior. Every system carries the memory of its data and reproduces the logic through which it was trained.
Works: “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “Kiss/Crash” (Adam Cole)
Tags: #training #memory #bias
An error is a system’s deviation from the expected outcome. In technology, it is usually treated as a malfunction to be corrected. However, errors reveal the assumptions, limitations, and biases of systems. They expose where technology falls short in capturing the complexity of the world. Error functions as a rupture within the apparent perfection of mechanical operation and a reminder of the persistent presence of unpredictability and the human factor.
Works: “Kiss/Crash” (Adam Cole), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #error #glitch #limits
Algorithmic transparency refers to the extent to which we can explain in simple terms why a system produced a particular outcome. In many models, especially in neural networks, decisions emerge from thousands of parameters and cannot be easily translated into a rationale. Transparency is a matter of accountability: who monitors, who challenges, and who is affected. It involves documentation, decision logs, descriptions of training data, bias testing, and independent audits. It also calls for explanatory mechanisms for users, rights of appeal, and ongoing monitoring after deployment. This is how trust is built without naivety. The goal is not to reveal every detail, but to provide sufficient explanation for fair, verifiable decisions under real-world conditions of use.
Works: “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “Kiss/Crash” (Adam Cole)
Tags: #transparency #accountability #blackbox
Surveillance is the systematic collection, storage, and analysis of data for monitoring behavior. Today, visible cameras are no longer necessary for this process; surveillance operates through apps, sensors, cookies, location tracking, biometrics, and movement patterns. What matters is not just the recording itself, but correlation: many small traces are combined to produce profiles, predictions, and automated decisions. Surveillance alters behavior (the ‘chilling effect’), affects privacy and freedom of expression, and is often presented as ‘security’ without genuine consent. Countermeasures include data minimization, encryption, access restriction, and accountability. Even when data are considered ‘anonymous,’ re-identification is often possible when multiple datasets are combined with third-party sources over time.
Works: “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos), “Handle with Care” (Ontroerend Goed)
Tags: #surveillance #privacy #tracking
A platform is a digital environment that hosts content and organizes interactions, rules, and economic incentives. It is not merely a ‘space,’ as it determines what becomes visible, how attention is rewarded, which data are collected, and what terms apply. Through algorithmic feeds, moderation, and APIs, a platform regulates behaviors and markets. It creates lock‑in through accounts, communities, and user histories. Changes in terms or algorithms can shift visibility and revenue overnight. Data portability and interoperability reduce dependence. That is why transparency in ranking rules, the ability to export data, and alternative distribution channels are necessary so that users are not trapped into a single option.
Works: “Kiss/Crash” (Adam Cole), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #platforms #visibility #governance
The interface is the point of contact between humans and systems: a screen, a gesture, a voice, a button, or even a responsive space. It translates complex operations into simple actions, but also guides behavior through defaults, notifications, and forms of friction. It defines what is easy, what remains hidden, and what appears normal. It may encourage engagement or impose discipline, even through dark patterns. A good interface is accessible, explains consequences, and offers control. A poor one increases confusion and concentrates power. Accessibility, clarity, and reversibility (‘undo’) reduce user stress and build trust, especially in interactive environments with uncertain or unpredictable responses.
Works: “Handle with Care” (Ontroerend Goed), “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos)
Tags: #interface #interaction #design
A hybrid system is a set of processes in which humans and machines share agency: the human sets goals, the system computes, the human evaluates, and the system adapts. Such systems rely on feedback loops and often produce ‘automation bias,’ when people place excessive trust in automated outputs. Hybridity requires mapping roles, intervention points, and protocols for handling errors. It demands logs, human escalation pathways, and correction procedures. It is not enough to say that “the algorithm is to blame”; accountability and safety must be designed into the system. Evaluation must include human testing, failure scenarios, and clear shutdown criteria so that the system does not continue causing harm when conditions change or data are missing.
Works: “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos)
Tags: #hybrid #oversight #safety
The term technological agency describes the way a system influences outcomes without human intention. When a model suggests, classifies, or excludes, it produces consequences: directing attention, altering decisions, and shaping habits. Agency emerges from the system’s position within networks of people, institutions, incentives, and rules. It does not replace human responsibility but diffuses it. To understand technological agency, we must examine who designs the system, who supplies it with data, who benefits, who is harmed, and what possibilities for contestation exist. In this way, we avoid naturalizing technological decisions. It is important to distinguish between influence and intention, and to design mechanisms for reversal, correction, and redress when unjust outcomes occur.
Works: “Parallels” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #agency #systems #accountability
Computational power describes a system’s capacity to perform complex calculations within a given time frame. It depends on processors, memory, software, and energy. Increased computational power allows for more complex models, simulations, and generative processes, but comes with rising environmental and economic costs. Power is not distributed equally: it is concentrated within large infrastructures and organizations. Understanding this helps us view technology not as abstract intelligence, but as a material system with limits, consumption, and geopolitical consequences. Efficiency, optimization, and energy awareness become critical design concerns.
Works: “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #computing #energy #scale
Technological infrastructure includes networks, servers, cables, power, and software that enable digital operations. Although it often remains invisible, it determines the limits of technology. Infrastructure is material, complex, and vulnerable; it depends on maintenance, resources, and geography. It is not neutral, as it organizes access, speed, and power. When infrastructure fails, digital experience collapses. Bringing infrastructure into view reveals that the ‘immaterial’ digital world relies on physical constructions, human labor, and environmental impact. Infrastructure is a cultural factor.
Works: “Atmospheric Pulse: The Shared Breath” (Yorgos Papafigos), “Among Us, Among Others” (AUEB x NYU Tandon)
Tags: #infrastructure #materiality #systems
Cyberspace is the digital environment in which users, data, and systems interact. Although it is often described as immaterial, it relies on physical infrastructure and energy. It is a space of encounter, identity, conflict, and narrative. Communities form in cyberspace, but so do mechanisms of control. The boundaries between private and public, real and imagined, become fluid. Understanding cyberspace as a real place helps us recognize the effects of digital life on the body, time, and social experience off-screen. Our presence there has consequences here.
Works: “Parallels” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio)
Tags: #cyberspace #identity #virtual
Interoperability is the ability of different systems to exchange data and work together. It enables the transfer of information without locking users into a single environment. When interoperability is absent, closed ecosystems and platform dependencies emerge. Interoperability strengthens transparency, innovation, and user choice. It is both a technical and a political issue, as it affects competition and access. It relates to open standards, APIs, and data portability. Its adoption reduces concentrations of power and enables more sustainable digital environments, where systems communicate with one another rather than isolate themselves.
Works: “The Golden Key” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser), “Among Us, Among Others” (AUEB x NYU Tandon)
Tags: #interoperability #openness #standards
Encryption is a technique for protecting information using mathematical methods, so that only authorized users can access it. It is used in communications, data storage, and transactions. Encryption safeguards privacy, integrity, and trust, but it is not foolproof: it depends on proper implementation and key management. Encryption often remains invisible to users, yet it has political dimensions, as it can either restrict or enable surveillance. Understanding encryption helps us recognize that security is not a given, but rather the result of design, risk balancing, and continuous adaptation to new threats and attack methods.
Works: “The Vivid Unknown: CloudQatsi” (John Fitzgerald & Godfrey Reggio), “Parallels” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser)
Tags: #encryption #security #privacy
Data portability is the ability of a user to export their data and transfer them to another system. It reduces platform lock-in and strengthens user control over information. It concerns not only files, but also relationships, user history, and metadata. Without portability, switching services entails social and technological costs. Data portability is linked to rights, interoperability, and transparency. From a design perspective, it requires clear standards and understandable export tools. It fosters a fairer digital ecosystem in which technology serves users, not the other way around. Real choice requires the ability to opt out.
Works: “Among Us, Among Others” (AUEB x NYU Tandon), “Handle with Care” (Ontroerend Goed)
Tags: #data #portability #rights
Digital production involves creating images, sound, text, or environments through computational processes. It does not replace human creativity; rather, it transforms it through tools, algorithms, and automation. The creator works with parameters, options, and systems that generate multiple possible outcomes. Digital production challenges concepts such as originality and the final work, since the result may be dynamic, repeatable, or evolving over time. The act of creation becomes collaborative between human and machine, while the process itself often becomes more significant than the final product. Digital production requires technical knowledge of tools but also critical awareness of the systems that make them possible and the conditions within which they operate.
Works: “The Golden Key”, “Parallels” (Marc Da Costa & Matthew Niederhauser)
Tags: #digitalproduction #creation #process
