EMERGE 2026: Contested Futures – International Conference and Forum, 5–6 November in Belgrade 

The international conference EMERGE 2026: Contested Futures will take place on 5–6 November 2026 at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade, bringing together researchers, experts, and creative practitioners to explore the social, political, and cultural implications of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. 

This year’s conference is grounded in the understanding that technological futures are not predetermined but shaped by human choices, values, and social relations. Through interdisciplinary dialogue and critical research, EMERGE 2026 will examine how artificial intelligence is transforming knowledge, creativity, communication, and society. 

The conference will feature three keynote speakers: Emanuele Arielli, Professor of Aesthetics at IUAV University of Venice, who will explore how conversational AI shapes human communication practices; Andrew Prahl, Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, whose keynote examines the human labor, knowledge, and values embedded in AI development; and Daniela Jaramillo-Dent, a researcher at the University of Zurich, who will challenge dominant assumptions about technological innovation, creativity, and AI futures from a Latin American perspective. 

On 6 November, the second day of the conference, the EMERGE Forum will open the conversation to a broader public audience, bringing together perspectives from technology, media, culture, and digital art. Forum speakers include Aleksandar Gligorijević, founder of Geek Area, who will address learning in the AI era; Ana Martinoli, Professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, who will explore the future of the internet and reliable information; Mika Tasić, a creative technologist examining the question of machine creativity; and Vuk Ćosić, a pioneer of net.art, who will offer a critical artistic perspective on technology and power. 

EMERGE 2026 is organized by the Digital Society Lab of the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade, in collaboration with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Serbia, and supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. Support from the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the European Union in Serbia is provided through the project “Strengthening Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Serbia”. 

For more information about the conference and its programme, visit: https://emerge.ifdt.bg.ac.rs/