AI, Cities, and Democracy: A New Great Transformation
Milan, November 11-13, 2026.
Call for papers: DEADLINE EXTENDED to 5th October 2026
SEPAI, the International Society for the Ethics and Politics of AI, invites submissions for the Call for Papers session of its Second International Conference, “AI, Cities, and Democracy: A New Great Transformation”, to be held at Smart City Lab, Milan, Italy, on November 11-13, 2026.
The conference will address the ethical, political, social, and cultural implications of artificial intelligence in contemporary societies. AI is no longer merely a technical innovation or a set of digital tools. It is becoming a transformative infrastructure that reshapes work, knowledge, institutions, public space, democratic participation, urban life, and the conditions of human agency. In this sense, AI can be understood as part of a new “great transformation”: a reconfiguration of the relations between technology, economy, politics, and society.
Invited speakers: Joanna Bryson (Hertie School Berlin); Mark Coeckelbergh (Universität Wien); Paul Nemitz (College of Europe); Carlo Ratti (MIT Boston); Francesca Rossi (IBM New York); Theodore Lechterman (IE University, Madrid); Oreste Pollicino (Bocconi University Milan); Enrico Panai (Università Cattolica Milano); Patrick Lee Plaisance (Pennsylvania State University); Massimo Chiriatti (Luiss University); Antonio Chella (University of Palermo); Chiara Agnello (University of Palermo); Marcello Massimini (University of Milan); Giuseppe Sartori (University of Padua); Pietro Perconti (Università di Messina); Paolo Merialdo (Rome 3 University); Fernando Giancotti (Lt. General Reserve, ex CASD President); Lorenzo Redaelli (Ass. Culturale Didattica Innovativa); Emanuela Totaro (Fondazione Kainòn); Viola Schiaffonati (Politecnico di Milano); Andrea Le Moli (University of Palermo); Ivana Pais (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano).
Including a joint online session with Gli Stati generali della Scuola Digitale – Varese 2026
CALL FOR PAPERS: GUIDELINES AND IMPORTANT DATES
We welcome contributions from philosophy, ethics, political theory, law, sociology, economics, cognitive science, urban studies, media studies, computer science, and related fields. Submissions may be theoretical, normative, empirical, critical, or interdisciplinary.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- ethics and politics of artificial intelligence;
- AI and democratic governance;
- AI governance, regulation, the rule of law, and democratic accountability;
- AI Act, fundamental rights, and institutional oversight;
- algorithmic power, Big Tech, and digital sovereignty;
- AI, labour, automation, and the future of work;
- AI in cities, smart cities, public administration, and participatory governance;
- generative AI, public space, misinformation, manipulation, and epistemic trust;
- AI, inequality, discrimination, social justice, education, and human development;
- human–AI interaction, moral agency, responsibility, AI advisors, AI agents, and delegated decision-making;
- AI, environmental and material costs, war, security, and geopolitical power;
- AI, consciousness, cognition, anthropomorphism, and the future of moral and political agency.
Accepted submissions will be presented in dedicated sessions, with 20 minutes allotted for each talk, followed by Q&A.
Submission guidelines
Authors are invited to submit an abstract of up to 500 words, prepared for blind review. Abstracts should clearly state the main thesis or research question, the argumentative structure, and the contribution of the paper to the ethics and politics of AI.
Submissions should include:
- an anonymized abstract, maximum 500 words;
- a separate document with the author’s name, affiliation, email address, paper title, and a short biographical note.
Abstracts should be submitted as PDF files. The separate document with author information may be submitted as a PDF or Word file.
The main language of the Call for Papers session will be English. Depending on the final structure of the programme, a limited number of Italian-language papers may also be considered.
Submissions will be evaluated through a blind review process by the Scientific Committee.
Prizes
SEPAI will award three prizes for the best papers presented in the Call for Papers session:
- First Prize: €1,000
- Second Prize: €500
- Third Prize: €250
Further details on eligibility and evaluation criteria will be announced with the final programme.
Important dates
- Submission deadline (EXTENDED): 5 October 2026
- Notification of acceptance: 10 October 2026
- Conference CFP session: 12-13 November 2026
Note for selected submissions: selected authors may be required to present on either 12 or 13 November. The organizing committee will finalize the parallel sessions schedule based on both conference logistics and authors’ availability.
Registration fees
- Single-day registration, 13 November 2026: €75
- Full conference registration, 11–13 November 2026: €150
- Full conference registration, 11–13 November 2026, Sepai Members: €100
At least one author of each accepted paper must register for the conference and attend the session to present the paper. In the case of co-authored papers, at least one co-author must register and present the paper.
Submission and contact
Abstracts should be sent to: cfp@sepai-international.org
Subject line: SEPAI 2026 CFP – Abstract Submission
The Scientific Committee and the final programme will be announced on the SEPAI website.
For further information, please contact: cfp@sepai-international.org
Sponsored by: P4B.Ai; Mondadori Education; Associazione Culturale Didattica Innovativa; Brand Genesi; Rivista.AI; Cattedra UNESCO in Ethics of AI and Practical Wisdom; Fondazione Kainòn.
