0273 - The Sanctuary Hypothesis by Jean-Fabrice Lebraty

CITO Seminar: The Sanctuary Hypothesis in Information Systems — Blockchain and AI as Strategic Havens for Non-Dominant OrganisationsGuest: Jean-Fabrice Lebraty Host: Donncha Kavanagh Recorded on Tuesday, September 23, 4:00 - 5:00pm in Q2.33 Lochlann Quinn School of Business, UCD Belfield Campus.Abstract This talk introduces a theory of dominant vs non-dominant organisations in digital ecosystems. Dominant actors shape standards, data flows, and platform rules; non-dominant actors operate under asymmetric dependency and limited control over technological stacks. I argue that, for the non-dominant, the core IS problem is not efficiency but survivability—the capacity to endure adverse, shifting, or hostile digital environments. Survivability requires a digital sanctuary: an infrastructure and set of practices that preserve critical informational assets beyond the reach of dominant gatekeepers. I then present two sanctuary technologies. First, blockchain, leveraging immutability, persistence, and verifiable anchoring to secure records and proofs against unilateral alteration. Second, AI via model-level embedding, where strategic data placement in training corpora and model fine-tunes creates durable informational traces and capabilities resilient to upstream platform changes. I conclude with design principles and governance implications for building and stewarding such sanctuaries. Keywords: digital sanctuary; survivability; blockchain; AI/model embedding BioJean-Fabrice LEBRATY is a Full Time Professor of Management Sciences at iaelyon School of Management (Jean Moulin University Lyon 3). He specialises in information systems management. His research focuses on decision-making in extreme contexts, crowdsourcing, social networks, and innovative technologies such as blockchain or AI. Since April 2023, he is in charge of the Magellan research laboratory, which comprises 80 researchers and 50 doctoral candidates.Notes:Jean-Fabrice Lebraty (at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3) https://iae.univ-lyon3.fr/lebraty-jean-fabriceA cross-pod release with CITO Conversations (on the web, Spotify or Apple Podcasts)AcknowledgementsMusic Title: Moody Break  01Artist: Allen HigginsSource:  a-Wed10Oct2024License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Includes samples from Ableton Live by Ableton AG and by KORG Inc.Cover Art Title: Room Q233Photo credit: Allen Higgins.Source: Jean-Fabrice-seminar.pptxLicense: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Podcast LicenseDesign Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0By taking part, you give permission for your voice to be recorded, for the recording to be edited, and for it to be posted and published as a podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.