The Weizenbaum Conference 2026, titled "Generative AI and Society: What is at stake?", is an international event organized by the Weizenbaum Institute. Scheduled for June 10-11, 2026, in Berlin, Germany, the conference aims to explore the interfaces between humans and technology, focusing on the societal impacts of Generative AI (GenAI).
Key topics include the integration of GenAI into work routines and knowledge production, addressing biases and pitfalls, and examining the influence of AI systems on political power relations, the economy, and the workplace. The conference promotes interdisciplinary exchange and emphasizes the responsibility of scientists and businesses in handling digital technologies.
The event will feature a dynamic program with keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops. Attendees can look forward to engaging sessions that delve into the integration of neurotechnology with adaptive interfaces, enhancing human-machine interaction. Networking opportunities will be available, fostering collaboration among scholars, artists, activists, and human rights advocates.
The conference is ideal for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and anyone interested in the societal implications of Generative AI. It provides a platform to discuss and understand the impact of GenAI comprehensively, promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.
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Speakers(43)
Angela Sasse
Professor of Human-Centred Security at Ruhr University Bochum
Prof. Dr. Angela Sasse studied psychology and completed her doctorate in Computer Science, focusing on human-centred technology and security, and was admitted to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 2023.
Anne K. Krüger
Research Group Lead at Weizenbaum Institute
Anne K. Krüger studies the reorganization of knowledge practices and evaluation through digitalization, with research situated at the intersection of Critical Data Studies, Organizational Sociology, and Science and Technology Studies.
Anne Mollen
Researcher at University of Bremen
Anne Mollen focuses on sustainability and digitalisation, as well as automation in media communication and data-centric technologies, with a PhD on the socio-technical constitution of digital communicative spaces.
Augusto Santos
Researcher at University of Erfurt
Augusto Santos focuses on state-led content moderation regulations across nations, contributing to comparative studies in this field.
Brent Mittelstadt
Director of Research at Oxford Internet Institute
Professor Brent Mittelstadt is a leading data ethicist and philosopher specializing in AI ethics, professional ethics, and technology law and policy, coordinating the Governance of Emerging Technologies research programme.
Carlo José Napolitano
Researcher at São Paulo State University
Carlo José Napolitano contributes to research on state-led content moderation regulations across nations.
Christian Herzog
Professor at University of Lübeck
Christian Herzog investigates digital sovereignty as an ill-structured problem, proposing contextual problem-solving strategies.
Christian Strippel
Research Group Leader at Weizenbaum Institute
Christian Strippel leads the Weizenbaum Panel and Methods Lab research units, with a doctoral project dedicated to the convergent use of television and the Internet.
Claes de Vreese
Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Society at University of Amsterdam
Claes de Vreese holds the Chair in political communication at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research ASCoR and is a Weizenbaum Distinguished Fellow of 2025.
Danaé Metaxa
Researcher at University of Pennsylvania
Danaé Metaxa focuses on promoting computational empowerment for youth through algorithm auditing of generative AI filters in social media.
Daniela Zetti
Researcher at University of Lübeck
Daniela Zetti focuses on digital sovereignty as an ill-structured problem, proposing contextual problem-solving strategies.
Dietmar Kammerer
Research Data Officer at Weizenbaum Institute
Dr. Dietmar Kammerer is responsible for the development and operation of the Open Access Repository 'Weizenbaum Library' and research data management. His interests include surveillance, privacy, data protection, and Open Science.
Dorian Cavé
Researcher at Weizenbaum Institute
Dorian Cavé explores decolonial ICT, focusing on tech discernment for emancipatory technologies.
Elizaveta Kuznetsova
Researcher at Weizenbaum Institute
Elizaveta Kuznetsova focuses on political communication and social media, investigating their impact on democracy.
Florian Butollo
Professor of Sociology of Digital Transformation and Work at Goethe University
Florian Butollo leads research projects on 'Generative AI in the World of Work' and 'Digital Business Model Innovation and Work', and served as an expert member of the German Bundestag’s Enquete Commission on Artificial Intelligence.
Florian Irgmaier
Researcher at Weizenbaum Institute
Florian Irgmaier investigates power imbalances and contestation in digital contexts, contributing to critical assessments of AI narratives.
Florian Meissner
Lecturer at Macromedia University
Dr. Florian Meißner teaches media management and journalism, with expertise in crisis communication and international journalism research, having completed his doctorate on German and Japanese media coverage of the Fukushima disaster.
Francesca Bria
Honorary Professor at Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL
Francesca Bria is an innovation economist and digital policy expert, part of the High-level Roundtable for the New European Bauhaus set up by EC President Ursula von der Leyen, and former President of the Italian national innovation Fund.
Ina Schieferdecker
Honorary Professor at Technical University of Berlin
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ina Schieferdecker focuses on software-based innovations, having served as Director of Research for Technological Sovereignty and Innovation at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Jason Branford
Researcher at University of Hamburg
Jason Branford collaborates on a relational approach to digital sovereignty, emphasizing contextual problem-solving strategies.
Jeremias Adams-Prassl
Fellow at Magdalen College, University of Oxford
Jeremias Adams-Prassl's research focuses on technology, innovation policy, and the future of work in the European Union and beyond. He has held visiting positions at institutions including Yale Law School and the Max Planck Institute Hamburg.
Josephine B. Schmitt
Scientist and Certified Scrum Master at Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS)
Josephine B. Schmitt's expertise lies at the intersection of media psychology, communication sciences, media education, and science and technology studies.
Judith Möller
Researcher at Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung, Hans-Bredow-Institut | Universität Hamburg
Judith Möller studies generative AI knowledge, conducting comparative studies of self-assessment, conceptual understanding, and factual knowledge.
Juliane Mendelsohn
Researcher at TU Ilmenau
Juliane Mendelsohn examines normative power and autonomy in the digital era, contributing to discussions on digital sovereignty.
Kiran Kappeler
Researcher at University of Copenhagen
Kiran Kappeler studies generative AI knowledge, conducting comparative studies of self-assessment, conceptual understanding, and factual knowledge.
Konstanze Möller-Jansen
Researcher at TU Dresden
Konstanze Möller-Jansen studies algorithmic domination, focusing on power dynamics in digital environments.
Lubna Rashid
Academic and Educator at Independent
Lubna Rashid's work lies at the intersection of ecological sustainability, behavioral psychology, digital entrepreneurship & innovation, and social justice, with extensive experience in post-conflict and refugee settings.
Luis Morales-Navarro
Researcher at University of Pennsylvania
Luis Morales-Navarro works on promoting computational empowerment for youth via algorithm auditing of generative AI filters in social media.
Marc Steen
Senior Research Scientist at TNO
Marc Steen is an expert in Human-Centred Design, Value-Sensitive Design, Responsible Innovation, and Applied Ethics of Technology and Innovation, with degrees in Industrial Design Engineering.
Michael V. Reiss
Researcher at Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung, Hans-Bredow-Institut
Michael V. Reiss focuses on measuring generative AI knowledge through comparative studies of self-assessment, conceptual understanding, and factual knowledge.
Nikolas Becker
Head of Politics & Science Division at Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI)
Nikolas Becker leads the 'Netzwerk Digital GreenTech' and has been a member of the DIN Expert Group on AI Standardization and Conformity since 2021.
Petra Molnar
Associate Director at Refugee Law Lab at York University
Petra Molnar is a lawyer and anthropologist specializing in technology, migration, and human rights. She is the co-creator of the Migration and Technology Monitor and a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre for Critical Internet at Harvard University.
Philip Howard
Professor at University of Oxford
Philip Howard is a global authority on technology innovation and public policy, authoring ten books including 'The Managed Citizen' and 'Pax Technica'. He is Chair of the International Panel on the Information Environment and a Visiting Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard University's Kennedy School.
Rainer Rehak
Researcher at Weizenbaum Institute
Rainer Rehak critically assesses the power and promise of sustainable AI, focusing on AI narratives and their implications.
Regina Cazzamatta
Researcher at University of Erfurt
Regina Cazzamatta specializes in comparative studies of state-led content moderation regulations across nations.
Regina Sipos
Researcher at Technical University of Munich
Regina Sipos uses generative AI to grapple with digital futures, employing the Critical Participatory Co-Design Method.
Renée Ridgway
Researcher at Aarhus University
Renée Ridgway contributes to research on digital sovereignty, emphasizing contextual problem-solving strategies.
Robin Preiß
Researcher at University of Lübeck
Robin Preiß collaborates on research into digital sovereignty, focusing on contextual problem-solving strategies.
Sandra Wachter
Professor of Technology and Regulation at Oxford Internet Institute
Professor Sandra Wachter researches the legal and ethical implications of AI, Big Data, and robotics, focusing on profiling, inferential analytics, explainable AI, algorithmic bias, and fairness.
Sigrid Kannengießer
Professor of Communication Studies at University of Bremen
Prof. Dr. habil. Sigrid Kannengießer specializes in media sociology, focusing on the intersection of media, communication, and society.
Yasmin Kafai
Professor at University of Pennsylvania
Yasmin Kafai promotes computational empowerment for youth through algorithm auditing of generative AI filters in social media.
Zachary Cooper
Researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Zachary Cooper explores the next generation of rights in generative-AI creative works, focusing on the implications for artists and creators.
danah boyd
Partner Researcher at Microsoft Research
danah boyd is a Partner Researcher at Microsoft Research and a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. She is also the founder of Data & Society, examining the intersection between technology and society.
Event Details
- Date
- June 15-16, 2026
- 2 days
- Location
- 🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany
- Weizenbaum Institute
- Pricing
- Check official website
- Audience
- Researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and individuals interested in the societal implications of Generative AI.
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