CFA: 8th AI4Society Symposium: The Future of AI Companions
Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem
8th AI4Society Symposium: The Future of AI Companions
Location: Future Africa Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract Submission Deadline: 11/01/2026
Symposium Date: 18/02/2026
Call for Abstracts
You are cordially invited to submit abstracts for the next CAIR/UP AI4Society Symposium scheduled for 18 February 2026. The symposium is a collaboration with the Centre for Philosophy of AI (CPAI) at the University of Copenhagen and will take place at the Future Africa Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Theme: The Future of AI Companions
The symposium aims to explore the risks, opportunities and the ethical, epistemological or societal implications of AI companions, broadly construed. This can include work on AI agents, AI assistants, HCI, computer/data science, ethics of technology or critical theory.
We welcome submissions from any related discipline, including moral and political philosophy, law, philosophy of technology, HCI, AI governance.
This symposium is jointly organized by Filippos Stamatiou (Centre for Philosophy of AI, University of Copenhagen) and Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem (African Institute for Data Science and AI, 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 around 500 words should be submitted to cairai4...@gmail.com by January 11, 2026. Acceptance will be communicated a week later.
Presentation slots will be 30 minutes including Q&A.
For additional information you can contact Filippos Stamatiou: f...@hum.ku.dk
Links:
CPAI: https://cpai.ku.dk
African Institute for Data Science and AI: https://www.up.ac.za/afridsai
CAIR: https://www.cair.org.za
Future Africa: https://www.future.africa
Prof Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem Professor and Head: Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Humanities Faculty Fellow: African Institute for Data Science and AI Chairperson: UNESCO World Commission on the Ethics of Science and Technology Member: Global Future Council on Autonomous Systems WEF AI Ethics Group Lead: Centre for AI Research 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 |
'The aim of argument should not be victory, but progress' - Karl Popper
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Please refer to http://upnet.up.ac.za/services/it/documentation/docs/004167.pdf for full details.