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Protocol Symposium 2026 Registration Open

Article Venkatesh Rao

Registration is now open for the 2026 Protocol Symposium (Sept 21-25), a free virtual event capped at 100 participants with a theme exploring 'New Nature'—the planet-scale technological layer governed by AI and protocols. The event features a main single-track program plus five separate workshops designed to prepare attendees to engage with emerging technologies at tactical and doctrinal levels.

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The 2023 Retrospectus is a collection of essays from the Summer of Protocols initiative examining how protocols function across social, economic, and technological domains, featuring contributions on topics ranging from killswitch mechanisms and protocolized economics to memory-making and emergency response systems. The volume presents a multidisciplinary exploration of protocols as generative frameworks for organizing collective behavior, coordination, and cultural production in both digital and physical contexts.

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The 2026 Protocol Symposium, the third edition of the flagship event for protocol studies, will be held online September 21-25 with the theme 'New Nature,' exploring the technological layer shaped by AI and protocols. Abstract submissions for talks and workshops are open until June 14, 2026, with registration to follow once the schedule is finalized.

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