Call for Papers – 1st INFRASTRUCTURE Workshop

Over the past two decades, the cloud computing paradigm and its evolutions have become dominant—sometimes even treated as a utility service. This success stems from the ability of cloud systems to abstract complex computing infrastructures into manageable, higher-level “resources.”

However, this abstraction renders the physical and human infrastructure behind the cloud invisible. All cloud computing systems ultimately rely on servers, network equipment, cables, datacenters, distributed infrastructure software, and the skilled workers who design and maintain them. While abstraction simplifies usage, it introduces several fundamental challenges:

  • Environmental Impacts
    The infrastructure supporting cloud services has rapidly grown in environmental footprint, especially with the rise of AI. Massive datacenters are being constructed, consuming power at the gigawatt scale, alongside a sharp increase in demand for GPU-class hardware.

  • The Illusion of Unlimited Resources
    The elastic model of the cloud promotes the idea of infinite computing capacity. This disconnect between usage and physical infrastructure encourages overconsumption and obscures its material costs. As noted in the 2011 NIST definition of cloud computing:

    “The capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be appropriated in any quantity at any time.”

  • Governance and Power Asymmetries
    Centralized infrastructure controlled by a few providers leads to uneven power dynamics—illustrated by cases like the VMware/Broadcom fallout. When infrastructure is fully outsourced for simplicity, clients lose autonomy and critical skills become concentrated. Governance structures deeply shape users’ rights and influence the control they have over infrastructure, including sensitive matters such as access by intelligence agencies.

Topics of Interest

This workshop invites work that investigates the technical, environmental, and sociological aspects of cloud and AI infrastructures—ranging from the materiality of datacenters to the socio-technical dependencies between providers and users.

We welcome work-in-progress and prospective research, particularly on:

  • Environmental and societal impacts of AI and datacenter infrastructure
  • Reduction of infrastructure size and footprint (e.g., digital sufficiency, technological judgment)
  • Alternative models for computing with limited resources
  • Fully decentralized or federated edge systems
  • Mapping socio-technical dependencies in cloud infrastructure
  • Systemic reliance on cloud services and associated risks
  • Long-term consequences of outsourcing infrastructure management
  • New governance models (e.g., digital commons, shared decision-making)
  • Critiques of utility-style framing of cloud infrastructure
  • Socio-technical dynamics behind the expansion of large-scale AI deployments

Interdisciplinary Contributions

Submissions are encouraged from Computer Science, STS (Science and Technology Studies), and other humanities and social sciences. The objective is to foster a genuinely interdisciplinary dialogue on the hidden material, technical, and political aspects of today’s computing infrastructures.

Expected Audience and Publicity

This workshop aims to bridge research from at least three communities:

  • Sustainable ICT (energy use, life cycle analysis)
  • Science and Technology Studies (infrastructure governance, digital commons)
  • Technical infrastructure specialists (system architecture, cloud operations)

Submission Guidelines

Workshop papers must be a maximum of 6 pages, following the ACM double-column format. This page limit includes all content (figures, references, appendices, etc.).

Important Dates

  • Paper Submission Deadline: October 18, 2025
  • Acceptance Decision Deadline: November 8, 2025
  • Author Notification Deadline: November 13, 2025
  • Program Announcement Deadline: November 15, 2025
  • Camera-Ready Deadline: Mid-November 2025

Participation and Registration Notes

  • At least one author of each accepted submission must attend the workshop in person.
  • At least one author must register at the full (non-student) rate.
  • All workshop participants must register under the UCC/BDCAT 2025 conference fee.
  • Acceptance of a workshop paper is conditional upon the final decision by UCC/BDCAT organizers on whether the workshop will take place.

© 2025 INFRASTRUCTURE Workshop • Adapted from Moonwalk theme