International Scientific Conference "Is AI a Friend or an Enemy?"

As it was the case with previous technological innovations, the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other related technologies is generating significant fears among people. Indeed, many polls have shown how people are worried about the growing presence of technology in their lives, which is associated with what is now recognized as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This fear is also perceivable even among the scientific community, whose members have recently openly called for an immediate pause in the training of AI software hinting that AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity.

However, are these fears founded or exaggerated? Are they relying upon a clear understanding of what AI can and cannot achieve? How will AI change our lives for the best and for the worse? How can we adapt ourselves to this new tehnological reality by figuring out ways that can allow us to take advantage of AI systems and to make ourselves complementary to them by focusing on tasks they cannot fulfill?

This conference calls for proposals that will address these general questions from a multidisciplinary perspective, both from the perspective of STEM disciplines and from a social science and humanities point of view. Participants will be invited to present their findings at the University of Opole (Poland) on September 25-26, 2025. Individuals interested in submitting a paper are invited to submit an abstract of max 250 words that will contain the presentation’s main thesis and arguments by May 15, 2025 by following this link: https://forms.gle/75NfkfiqABN1nRcv5. There is also a possibility to submit the panel proposal.

Individuals will be notified in early June regarding the status of their submission.

We are particularly interested in hearing your thought about this non-exhaustive list of topics:

• AI and Ethics: How to Navigate Moral Dilemmas?
• The Semantic of AI: Navigating between Automation and Autonomy
• AI in Healthcare: Transforming Diagnosis and Treatment
• The Intersection of AI and Creativity: How are Humans Unique?
• AI and Law: Who is to Blame in the Case of a Technical Malfunction?
• AI and Warfare: Can Technology Increase the Morality of Warfare?
• AI in Climate Change: An Accelarating Factor or a Mean for Sustainability?
• AI and Education: What is the Future of Learning? What Human Skills Will Survive the 4th Industrial Revolution?
• AI, Security, and Geopolitics: How is the 4th Industrial Revolution Shaping the -Alignment of States?
• AI and Human Rights: A Fragile Balance
• The Philosophy of AI: Consciousness and Machine Intelligence
• AI in Finance: Risks and Regulations

Individuals are invited to present their findings either in Polish or in English. While this conference will be held primarily in-person, a limited number of virtual presentations will be accepted. The fees for in-person participants will be 100 euros (regular) and 50 euros (discounted for PhD students). The fees for those who will present their findings virtually will be 50 euros (regular) and will be free of charge for faculty and students of FORTHEM Alliance. Individuals wishing to publish their findings will have an opportunity to do so in an edited volume with Routledge as well as in a FORTHEM journal.

• Prof. Petra Ahrweiler (Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz)
• Prof. Jean-Francois Caron (University of Opole)
• Prof. Adrian Florea (Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu)
• Prof. Robert Geisler (University of Opole)
• Prof. Fabrice Meriaudeau (Universite Bourgogne Europe)
• Prof. Radu-Ioan Popa (Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu)
• Prof. Vagan Terziyan (University of Jyväskylä)
• Prof. Salvatore Vitabile (University of Palermo)
• Prof. Arne Wiklund (University of Agder)

• University of Opole

By May 15, 2025 – submission of abstract (max 250 words) of the paper (in Polish or English)

Early June – notification of the submission status

Individuals interested in submitting a paper are requested to send an abstract (max 250 words, in Polish or English), outlining the main thesis and arguments of the presentation, by May 15, 2025, using the following link: https://forms.gle/75NfkfiqABN1nRcv5.forms.gle/75NfkfiqABN1nRcv5 

Currently being finalized…

On-site participation:

• 100 EUR
• 50 EUR – PhD students

Online participation:

• 50 EUR
• Employees and PhD students of FORTHEM alliance universities – free of charge

Khrystyna Shelvakh (Conference Secretary) Khrystyna.shelvakh@uni.opole.pl