How does direct interaction with the brain work? The brain consists of a multitude of small nerve cells, so-called neurons. These neurons trigger a firework of electrical impulses with every subtle perception or thought. Even if these impulses are very weak, they can be measured with the help of sensitive sensors or even imitated by electrodes. These devices can be summarized under the term neurotechnologies. Will this make humans part of the machine?

Neurotechnologies are devices that can directly access, observe, analyze, modify or stimulate the human nervous system. These technologies promise significant improvements for people with diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well as mental illnesses or in stroke rehabilitation. However, in addition to medical applications, there are also visions of enhancing human abilities, expanding consciousness and even merging mind and machine. 

The prospect of enhancing human capabilities beyond natural limits raises critical questions. The long-term effects are unknown and the dangers arising from potentially discriminatory or abusive use of these technologies are great. Questions arise about the ownership of neural data, the potential for surveillance, commercial manipulation or political influence, as well as equality, inclusion and access, and even the very definition of what it means to be human. The topic underlines the need for a broad-based social discourse.

In the future dialog Re-Engineering Human Nature, these and other critical points will be discussed with an interested audience and invited experts on two panels. The first panel will deal with human rights, ethics and the safety of neurotechnologies. Afterwards, film screenings will provide impulses for the second panel on the topic of myths and visions of neurotechnologies. With experts from various disciplines, we offer a comprehensive insight into this ambivalent technology and discuss new opportunities, potential challenges and the role of art in this socially relevant field of technology. The event is a collaboration between the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Ars Electronica NeuroExperience Lab, the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) and the University of Art and Design Linz.

The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is Austria's largest non-university research institution and is the specialist among European research institutions for the central infrastructure topics of the future. With its seven centres, the AIT sees itself as a highly specialised research and development partner for industry in the fields of Energy, Health & Bioresources, Digital Safety & Security, Vision, Automation & Control, Low-Emission Transport, Technology Experience and Innovation Systems & Policy. Around 1,500 employees throughout Austria conduct research to develop the tools, technologies and solutions for Austria's economy.

The concept of Future-Oriented Collective Intelligence (FOCI) offers a transformative approach to making sense of and addressing future challenges that are complex and interconnected. The topic will be at the centre of the Futures4Europe Conference that will take place on 15 - 16 May 2025 in Vienna, Austria, at the Skydome in Vienna’s thrilling 7th district.   

The Call for Abstracts is now closed and has been very successful with over one hundred high quality abstracts submitted and assessed on a double-blind review basis. We sincerely thank those of you who have submitted for the time and effort it took and appreciate your interest in our conference. The conference scientific committee and the reviewers focused on scientific quality, relevance to the conference theme and innovative research approaches, which resulted in a selection of highly relevant proposals of excellent quality. Abstracts that were considered closest to the conference theme are currently being assigned to sub-topics, tracks and sessions. As the final programme is in the works, please check back this page for further updates! 

The event will focus on three subtopics that correspond to the tracks of the Call for Papers: 

• Collective Intelligence for R&I Policy Making;
• Science as Collective Intelligence;
• Emerging practices and cultures in future-oriented collective intelligence.

The programme will consist of keynotes, parallel sessions with paper presentations and interactive formats. The final agenda will be shared closer to the event date. 

The Registration to the Futures4Europe Conference is now open here: REGISTRATION LINK 

The conference is free of charge, but registration is required to attend. Kindly register only if you intend to join us in person: spots are limited and hybrid or virtual attendance will not be possible You will be receiving a confirmation by email. Check back this page for the final programme and other details. If you have any questions, please contact us at futures4europe@ait.ac.at   

Selected papers will be published in the international bi-monthly Foresight journal by Emerald Publishing. 

The Conference is organised by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, as part of the Eye of Europe project, which envisions a more cohesive and influential R&I foresight community that contributes significantly, as collective intelligence, to shaping and guiding policy decisions. The project has received funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe Research Programme under Grant Agreement n°101131738. 

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