[PHILOS-L] Call for Papers: 9th AI4Society Symposium: AI and the Promise of Utopia
Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem
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Location: Future Africa Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract Submission Deadline: 06 July 2026
Symposium Date: 07 August 2026
Call for Abstracts
You are cordially invited to submit abstracts for the next AI4Society Symposium scheduled for 07 August 2026. The symposium will take place at the Future Africa Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Theme: AI and the Promise of Utopia
There are various ways in which to think of an AI Utopia. Tech leaders and investors (e.g., Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman) present a future driven by Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with characteristics such as creating abundance by producing new scientific and cultural knowledge at almost zero marginal cost, enabling post-work lifestyles by automating labour, solving global challenges by curing diseases, providing sustainable energy, and reversing environmental collapse, and integrating AI assistants by providing individuals with a personalized AI assistant, improving productivity and daily life.
We have seen warnings from data scientists, philosophers, social scientists, and legal scholars such as Timnit Gebru, Kate Crawford, Abeba Birhane, Karen Hao, and many others, that AI is an empire built on human behaviours and the social fabric of life. This implies that the AI utopia is not meant for everyone and can only belong to an AI elite. In this context the emergence of ‘AI washing’ has to be considered. AI washing involves the exaggeration or misrepresentation of a product’s AI capabilities, and is often accompanied by tech-solutionism.
The symposium aims to explore the promises made about an AI utopia from various perspectives. The aim is to explore thinking about future societies and how they might be harmed or protected in the context of these promises. We will also investigate and discuss the impact of these promises on the development of AI.
We welcome submissions from a variety of disciplines, including philosophy, the social sciences, human rights approaches, data science, etc.
This symposium is jointly organised by Abigail Backman-Daniels (Stellenbosch University) and Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (African Institute for Data Science and AI and Department of Philosophy, University of Pretoria and the Centre for AI Research) as part of a symposium series on the societal impact of AI technologies.
Due date for Abstracts
Abstracts of between 150 - 300 words should be submitted to cairai4...@gmail.com by 06 July 2026. Acceptance of abstracts will be communicated roughly a week later.
Presentation slots will be 20 minutes followed by 10 min of Q&A.
For additional information you can contact Abigail Backman-Daniels: aidani...@gmail.com
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Prof Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem Professor and Head: Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities, UP Senior Faculty Fellow: African Institute for Data Science and AI, UP Programme Coordinator: Philosophy, Politics and Economics, UP |
Chairperson: UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Science and Technology (COMEST) Member WEF Global Future Council: Autonomous Systems AI Ethics Group Lead: Centre for AI Research (CAIR) Associate Editor: Science and Engineering Ethics |
a: Room 20-02, Level 20, Humanities Building, University of Pretoria Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
t: +27 (0)12 420 5779/2326 |
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'The aim of argument should not be victory, but progress' - Karl Popper
Please refer to http://upnet.up.ac.za/services/it/documentation/docs/004167.pdf for full details.
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