We’re all familiar with the catchphrases: “Big Data is the new oil” and “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the new engine”. Furthermore, AI is considered “our final invention” and heralds the “second machine age”. But what does that actually mean? Where are we headed? How will our society and our lives change? Concepts such as Society 5.0, the “Internet of Bodies”, or neurocapitalism illustrate just how far-reaching fantasies of digital control have become today. At the heart of the matter is the question of whether and how people and societies could be controlled by AI.

Other events surrounding AI and society at Scientifica:
Booth: AI TO EYE – Between Code and Conscience
Saturday, 29. August 2026, Zentrum
Sunday, 30. August 2026, Zentrum