Digital Humanism Conference 2026

#DigHum2026 connects everyone interested in options for a good digital future and life. In conversation across research and policy, with experts and enthusiasts, it will be discussing technology through the lens of human values and democratic principles. Challenging the digital, empowering the human.

This year's focus

At a time of profound global challenges, values once considered stable – such as security, democracy, and solidarity – are increasingly shaken and under strain.

Yet, we do not respond with despair. Instead, we take on the task of bringing these values back to the table and debating their contemporary meanings: What does security mean for individuals and for society in times of rapid technological change? How must democracy evolve to adapt to social transformation? And how can we strengthen our sense of solidarity in increasingly commercialised societies, where values such as individual success and even inequality seem to be something to strive for?

Rethinking democracy through Digital Humanism

The conference positions Digital Humanism within current global power shifts and debates on technological governance by asking how digital technologies reshape political agency, democratic institutions, and international relations. How can they be steered in line with human-centred values?

Bringing together leading thinkers from academia, policy, industry, and civil society, the conference explores how democracy can be reconfigured through technology: not as a purely technical challenge, but as a societal project grounded in human rights, inclusion, equality, diversity, and environmental responsibility.

Orientation in turbulent times

While fully aware of the risks and tensions of the digital age and of global politics, and engaging in a critical examination of current regulations and practices, the conference takes an explicitly forward-looking and optimistic stance. It highlights constructive pathways, practical approaches, and inspiring examples of how digital technologies can be governed and designed to strengthen democratic resilience and serve the common good.

Join us for 2 ½ days at the 2026 Digital Humanism Conference in Vienna.