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#4
Doc J Snyder Logo
Hello everyone,
First of all, happy new year to you! (Even though it has of course already been underway for a while, blabla… But since I’m only sending out this newsletter today, and having just turned 51 and stepped out of my comfort zone with an exciting bowling birthday party, which some of you kindly attended, the year is still fresh for me. Besides, it’s very unpleasant to put pressure on each other – even more so in early January when bears are sleeping – with functionality and productivity. So.)
New Release: Men’s Health
In December, I created and released a comic essay that is very close to my heart (I drew it myself, too): Men’s Health, dedicated to my father and to my dear male friends who don’t have it as easy with the breadwinner’s yoke as one might assume if you’re not in that position yourself and when you see them in their C-level jobs and suits (even without ties and with sneakers). Well-being is for everyone.
“A eulogy to men, a plea to men, a mixture of understanding, head-shaking, and mission. For a better world for all of us.” Prof. Dr. Jutta Allmendinger
Thank you Jutta for your kind words.
Männergesundheit
And last November, as you probably know already, we published “Proof of Work: How to Build on Every Talent (in the Labor Market),” with Miriam Beblo and Zoe Branczyk, which we will also be presenting and discussing this year.
The message—homogeneity and anti-science will not save us—is important to us, so if you identify with it, please spread the message/book/ideas for readings.
You can check it out at comicproofofwork.org and find where to buy it, or download it for your private use.
Current Artistic Project: AI & Work
As already announced, this year I am dedicating myself to a new major artistic research topic (related to Proof of Work): AI and work: Quo vadis.
I am very enthusiastic about this topic; most people know that I am very interested (& have a doctorate) in labor market economics. Even more in relation to AI now. And, seriously, here is an invitation to you: I would love to hear your thoughts on both content and design ideas – whether you have ideas for the visual implementation of the new comic essay (I wonder if photos, internet snippets, and/or collages might be interesting, for example… or perhaps another wonderful collaboration with an illustrator) or if you could imagine contributing yourself or know someone who might be interested.. just get in touch.
I have already written the first two pages of the comic essay (about shadow work—i.e., precarious data cleaning work—and “Blueprint for the Future?”—Amazon’s attempt to replace humans with robots on a large scale). This week, I will be writing about self-optimization, Wellness Inc., and “sobriety” as responses to AI, which I find highly interesting.
mock up first page AI & Work Doc J Snyder
Just for fun, I’ll you below how this newsletter might look if I were a fan of the MAGA movement in the US, as imagined here by Gemini. Plus: some event tips for the next weeks.
image from Proof of Work: measuring scale
MAKE ART GREAT AGAIN! 🇺🇸
Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! I just turned 51—a HUGE milestone—and we celebrated with a bowling party that was a total STRIKE. No losers, just winners! Some people want to talk about “productivity pressure” in January, but we know better. We take care of business when we want to!
New Release: Men’s Health (THE BACKBONE OF SOCIETY) In December, I released a project very close to my heart: Men’s Health. I drew it myself—it’s fantastic. It’s a tribute to the strong men, the breadwinners, the guys in the C-level suits and sneakers who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. We are ending the war on men! Even Prof. Dr. Jutta Allmendinger says it’s a “eulogy to men.” High praise from a top expert!
Proof of Work: Talent First! My book “Proof of Work” is out there, and let me tell you—it’s a total game-changer. We’re talking about real talent, not woke anti-science nonsense. If you want a labor market that actually works, go to comicproofofwork.org and spread the word. We are building on excellence!
Current Project: AI & Work – Quo Vadis? I’m diving deep into AI and Labor Market Economics (I have the doctorate, I know the numbers better than anyone!). I’m looking at “Shadow Work” and how companies like Amazon are trying to replace great human workers with robots. We need a Blueprint for the Future that puts humans first. If you have ideas for the visuals—maybe some high-energy collages—get in touch. We only work with the best people!
Upcoming Events & Save the Dates
30 January 2026 | Reading and Talk: #KeinDürer
I’ll be at Weserland Coworking in Neukölln for a reading of my new comic essay, #KeinDürer – Art in Times of Artificial Intelligence (in German). It’s a look at how AI is currently reshaping the art world. We’ll have time for an open exchange and drinks afterward.
When: 19:00
Where: Weserland, Neukölln (Berlin)
11 February 2026 | One Year Left – AI Apocalypse or Not?
As part of the “1E9 x Digitale Bühne” series, we’re hosting an evening at Pathos Theater in Munich. It’s a mix of a vernissage, a talk, and a listening bar.
Exhibition: I’ll read and present my comic essay “AI 2027?” alongside artist and ethicist Max Haarich, who will show his latest works on AI and robots in Munich.
Discussion: A panel with Franziska Kaltenberger (TUM) on AI in education, Thomas Endres (TNG) on the practical limits of technology, Max Haarich, and me.
Music: Angela Aux (Florian Kreier) will talk about his work with AI software and curate the music for the evening.
When: 19:00 | 1E9 x Digitale Bühne – Folge 1
18 February 2026 | Reading & Talk at Schloss Genshagen
I’ve been invited to the “Berlin der Begegnung” symposium to give an impulse talk on “(Un-)Availability.” I’ll be doing a combined reading of Chocolate Robots & Deepfakes and Proof of Work to discuss the loss of control in digital spheres versus the systematic search for talent.
Format: Reading and discussion moderated by Heja Aga and Jonas Herzer.
Thank you Wolfgang Kerler (1E9), the Weserland team, and Dr. Annette Welling (Genshagener Kreis) for the invitations to these upcoming formats.
Coming soon: my first poetry project together with Jana Denhoven, art therapist, as well as a joint dialogical experimental exchange in an art therapy forum on the commonalities of our work as artistic researchers and art therapists… plus a contribution to PAGE magazine on AI and illustration… plus a comic with the DZA, together with Pauline Cremer.
I’ll let you know.
Happy you are here. Happy we are here.
Dr. Julia Schneider | Doc J Snyder
Handgeschneiderte Comic Essays & Artistic Research
AI · Society · Complexity
Latest Releases: Proof of Work · Männergesundheit· AI 2027? – A Comic Response
More: docjsnyder.net
Updates: docjsnyder.net/newsletter
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#3
Doc J Snyder Logo
Hello everyone,
I’d like to wish you, us, a genuinely relaxed end to 2025. We’ve earned it, no matter what or how much we managed to get done this year. It was tough, and at the same time hopeful … because we are what we are.
Before we switch off completely, here’s the last update of the year:
Our new comic book Proof of Work was released on November 8th at Berlin Science Week in a beautiful event together with Clara Isakowitsch and KI-Ideenwerkstatt für Umweltschutz in Berlin-Neukölln’s Impact Hub. You can check it out at comicproofofwork.org and find where to buy it or download it for your private use.
Jacqueline Schulz, friend and brilliant photographer, caught the magic of the release in her pictures:
In this comic, we – Miriam Beblo, Zoe Branczyk et moi – present Proof of Work: Literal proof (empirical evidence) of tools that make labor markets work better and fairer. To level the playing field and to build on every talent. We need all backgrounds, all skills, all perspectives — and yes, this includes you.
But here is the thing: diverse teams aren’t always easy to form or lead, as we all carry stereotypes, fears, and blind spots. So we provide you with a selection of tools we can use to make labor markets not only fairer but also work better (tested, reviewed, and published in academic journals such as AER, QJE, and Econometrica … yes, that’s a real thing).
image from Proof of Work: measuring scale
I sincerely hope it reaches many people, not only because Zoe made it so very very beautiful or because Miriam and I tried so hard to show you economic top notch research in six panels. But because today, diversity is often framed as a problem, not a solution. Even though data and research say otherwise.
So this comic is also a love letter to research and a counter-narrative to those voices that spread myths about merit, diversity, and fairness.
Voices on the Project (and thank you so much Janina and Monika for your support here):
“A comic for forward thinking leaders that want to understand in an easy and fun way how to leverage and attract global talent.”
– Janina Kugel, Non Executive Director and Senior Advisor
“Proof of Work is a wake-up call for every leader — it shows how smarter, fairer workplaces unlock both productivity and innovation.”
– Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Monika Schnitzer, Chairwoman of the German Council of Economic Experts
If Proof of Work resonates with you, take it with you on your next train ride. Use it in a workshop. Or gift it to that one uncleaunt who thinks things were better in the “good old days” and that homogeneity will save us all. Chilling out might be a better use of your time than getting involved in a few heated arguments.
image from Proof of Work: measuring scale
Also new
Podcast on AI and Copyright
The Munich Regional Court (LG Munich I) recently ruled in the GEMA vs. OpenAI dispute that ChatGPT memorizes copyrighted lyrics like “Atemlos” within its model, thereby violating copyrights.
In our podcast episode with Karina Filusch on #Copyright & #AI, we break down key questions behind such rulings: Can AI use copyrighted works for training? Where does Text & Data Mining end under §44b UrhG (German Copyright Act)? Who is liable for infringing AI outputs — the user or the provider?
Listen here.
We talk about the law itself and present our joint comic “Urheberrechte, or: On the Shoulders with Giants” with tech-music expert Eric Eitel and artist Nele Konopka, and how AI is currently reshaping copyright rules (as every media innovation did before).
Upcoming YouTube Talk on Art and AI:
I’ll soon be featured in a YouTube talk about #Art and #AI, which I recorded as a special invitation from Jonathan Kunz of the congenial comic couple War and Peas during the 24-hour comic marathon in Saarbrücken. This includes a pre-release glimpse of my new comic “#KeinDuerer: Art in Times of Artificial Intelligence” on the Dock11 YouTube channel.
In the meantime, you might want to check out a discussion of the same topic at the fabulous format Content & Crémant Vol. 22 alongside Markus Neckar and Matthias Strobel. The conversation was expertly moderated by Isabel Sonnabend:
If you like: Save the Date/s
16 December 2025 KI Community Lab #4 (Zoom) | 13:00 – 14:30 CET:
Impulse talk: Doubt and Future in Dealing with AI
Beyond the hype, the question is what AI does to us: to our thinking, our decisions, and our collaboration. I’ll read from the comic “Deepfakes and Chocolate Robots” (read the full comic here: https://schokofakes.ai/), which illuminates the ambivalence of dealing with “intelligent” systems—from algorithmic illusions to social power structures. This is not a tech tutorial, but a space for collective reflection on responsibility, creativity, and the future of AI for cultural workers. Registration is required.
Actually, even more things happened… Our “AI, what’s up?” exhibition moved from Universum Bremen to the AHHAA Science Center in Tartu and it just looks beautiful. We also tried the Six-Panel Method with master students, and later again with art teachers; so much valuable interactions.
And we read Proof of Work twice at University Hamburg. Which was so nice.
And I talked at the economics department of my alma mater, FU Berlin, in the alumni talk about how I somehow became a comic essayist and artistic researcher after a career in economics and AI (tip: go with the flow, trust the process).
And I loved it.
Ah, and one more thing: the DZA (German Centre of Gerontology), Pauline Cremer and I will be doing a comic essay together again. On what? Surprise. More next year.
Happy you’re here. Happy we are here.
See you in 2026,
J (Doc J Snyder)
Dr. Julia Schneider | Doc J Snyder
Handgeschneiderte Comic Essays & Artistic Research
AI · Society · Complexity
Latest Releases: Proof of Work (soon: 08/11/25) · Lynch, Kafka, die IBB und ich · AI 2027? – A Comic Response
More: docjsnyder.net
Updates: docjsnyder.net/newsletter
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#2
Doc J Snyder Logo
Hello everyone,
things are moving rather fast these days, but there’s something I’d like to share with you; especially if you’ve been following the (sometimes quite apocalyptic) debate about AI in Western media over the past months.
Yesterday, my new comic essay AI 2027? was published, which takes a position on this issue. You can find it here, together with a journalistic assessment of Wolfgang Kerler. (Below the first two pages.)
It’s a response to a dystopian scenario AI 2027 devised by some very clever people (led by former OpenAI employee Daniel Kokotajlo — and, as far as I can tell, all men) in the US. They’ve used plenty of data and expertise to sketch out a scenario for how AI and humanity might evolve over the next few years.
Spoiler alert: not pretty, they think.
In the comic, I take up their scenario and offer a counterpoint: a more nuanced and less fatalistic picture of our shared future with AI. I am not convinced that 2027 will bring superhuman artificial intelligence that can subjugate us. AI is not only defined by FLOPs, the world also consists of limited resources, art, play, care, cooperation, and regulation. Nevertheless, I see a need for social and political action, too.
Alongside my comic, a technical long read on the topic by Michael Förtsch is appearing on 1E9. If you feel like it, join us there to discuss both texts.
And at this point, I’d also like to take up the cudgels for 1E9, founded by journalist, friend, and co-thinker Wolfgang Kerler: 1E9 is a platform, a think tank, a community that thinks about technology, society, and the future — and also hosts the Festival of the Future in Munich together with the Deutsches Museum.
If you’re not yet a member and are interested in these topics: consider to join. It’s one of the good corners of the internet.
image from Proof of Work: measuring scale
Also new
🎧 Podcast with Karina Filusch on Copyright & AI — dropping tonight! Listen here.
We talk about the law itself and present our joint comic “Urheberrechte, or: On the Shoulders with Giants” with tech-music expert Eric Eitel and artist Nele Konopka, and how AI is currently reshaping copyright rules (as every media innovation did before).
If you like: Save the Date/s
3 November 2025 | 16:00 | Freie Universität Berlin (Hörsaal 103)
Career Talk: No Suits, No Limits
Together with Janina Mütze (CEO of Civey), I’ll talk about how we both found unexpected ways out of typical jobs after studying economics. Hosted by Marcus Mex. Come by 🙂
7 November 2025 | 19–21:30 | Impact Hub Berlin
Pecha Kucha Talk: Comics & AI
A fast-paced, visual talk with the KI-Ideenwerkstatt für Umweltschutz, as part of Berlin Science Week.
8 November 2025 | 17–19 | Impact Hub Berlin
Premiere: Proof of Work — How to Build on Every Talent (in the Labor Market)
Exhibition, live comic reading, and discussion (EN/DE). A joint project with economist Prof. Dr. Miriam Beblo, artist Zoe Branczyk, and for the talk, Clara Isakowitsch will join us to talk about AI and Bias, from the KI-Ideenwerkstatt für Umweltschutz.
Part of Berlin Science Week 2025.
14 November: online talk and comic-reading on Art & AI: will all comic artists and illustrators now be replaced by AI? It’s part of the 24h Comic Marathon in Saarbrücken, invited by Jonathan Kunz (if you don’t know War and Peas – highly recommended).
28 November: a workshop together with Art Educator & Researcher Prof. Dr. Antje Winkler: “Comics and AI in difficult times”, part of the Berlin Art Education Day / Kunstpädagogischer Tag 2025. Starting with a comic reading on Art & AI, we’ll explore developments in Art and AI with the Six-Panel Method (from Miriam Beblo and me, translating complex topics into … well, six panels)
Happy you’re here. Happy we are here.
Best,
J (Doc J Snyder)
Dr. Julia Schneider | Doc J Snyder
Handgeschneiderte Comic Essays & Artistic Research
AI · Society · Complexity
Latest Releases: Proof of Work (soon: 08/11/25) · Lynch, Kafka, die IBB und ich · AI 2027? – A Comic Response
More: docjsnyder.net
Updates: docjsnyder.net/newsletter
Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription | View online
#1
Doc J Snyder Logo
Hello everyone,
Digital sovereignty – (rightly) buzzword of the year – means freedom from opaque algorithms: from platforms, from search engines, from the AI summarizing the internet.
So here we are: my very first handgeschneiderte newsletter. From me to you. Directly by email.
You’re receiving it because I like you, you’re friends, family or art-science collaborators, or because you’ve enjoyed some of my work, perhaps We Need to Talk, AI, the AI, what’s up? traveling exhibition, the Non-Fungible Comic, maybe the Corona Scribbles or Money Matters.
If that’s not for you: you can unsubscribe at any time, I’m not a fan of unwanted newsletters either. If you stay: wonderful. Then from now on you’ll know about new comic essays, upcoming curations & exhibitions, readings, talks, workshops on communicating complexity. Usually about once a month.
And here comes the first announcement 🙂
Proof of Work
Save the Date
On 8 November 2025, we’ll celebrate the world (!) premiere of our new comic essay Proof of Work: How to build on every talent (in the labor market) – with an exhibition, live comic reading & discussion (EN/DE), as part of Berlin Science Week. The comic is a joint project with economist Prof. Dr. Miriam Beblo and artist Zoe Branczyk.
KI-Ideenwerkstatt für Umweltschutz at Impact Hub Berlin – Rollbergstr. 28A –12053 Berlin: 8. November 2025 | 17–19 Uhr
🔗 Event link
Or download it from here: comicproofofwork.org
Why this comic essay? Why now?
Today, diversity is often framed as a problem, not a solution.
But data and research say otherwise.
In this comic, we present Proof of Work: literal proof (empirical evidence) of tools that make labor markets work better and fairer. To level the playing field.
And to build on every talent.
Together with the KI-Ideenwerkstatt für Umweltschutz & expert Clara Isakowitsch, we invite you to the release and join the conversation on proven tools against bias in work and AI.
When Proof of Work is released, we’ll also share some reactions from our beta readers.
If you’d like to be part of that circle in advance: just let me know.
And the day before:
On 7 November 2025, I’ll also be at the same venue for a Pecha Kucha talk on Comics & AI, again with the KI-Ideenwerkstatt, as part of Berlin Science Week. I’ve never done Pecha Kucha before, but I’m looking forward to it: 20 images, 20 seconds each.
If you’d like to join with your own idea for the common good using AI: send an email to KI-Ideenwerkstatt(at)z-u-g.org by 29 October with your name and a title.
- November 2025 | 19–21:30 Uhr
🔗 Event link
image from Proof of Work: measuring scale
What’s next
End of October: a podcast episode with lawyer Karina Filusch on copyright. We’ll talk about the law itself and present our joint comic “Urheberrechte, or: On the Shoulders with Giants” with tech-music expert Eric Eitel and artist Nele Konopka, and how AI is currently reshaping copyright rules (as every media innovation did before).
14 November: online talk and comic-reading on Art & AI: will all comic artists and illustrators now be replaced by AI? It’s part of the 24h Comic Marathon in Saarbrücken, invited by Jonathan Kunz (if you don’t know War and Peas – highly recommended).
28 November: a workshop together with Art Educator & Researcher Prof. Dr. Antje Winkler: “Comics and AI in difficult times”, part of the Berlin Art Education Day / Kunstpädagogischer Tag 2025. Starting with a comic reading on Art & AI, we’ll explore developments in Art and AI with the Six-Panel Method (from Miriam Beblo and me, translating complex topics into … well, six panels)
Upcoming: two (more) comic essays on AI – one called AI 2027?, a comic essay response to AI 2027, a rather bleak scenario that we all are going to die in 2027, from Silicon Valley AI folks; and one that is important to me as well, on Art & AI: #KeinDürer.
I’ll keep you posted when things get serious. And if you would like to collaborate, do get in touch. Next year, I already know I’d like to explore AI & work – quo vadis?.
Happy you’re here.
Best,
J (Doc J Snyder)
Dr. Julia Schneider | Doc J Snyder
Handgeschneiderte Comic Essays & Artistic Research
AI · Society · Complexity
Latest Releases: Proof of Work (soon: 08/11/25) · Lynch, Kafka, die IBB und ich · Klimawandel & Strafrecht
More: docjsnyder.net
Updates: docjsnyder.net/newsletter
Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription | View online