AI Hype, Hope and Humanity is a three-day conference bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and societal partners working on AI, all with a shared commitment to responsibility, public values, and real-world impact.
Under the theme “Co-creating Responsible AI across Research, Policy, and Practice,” the conference focuses on how AI is shaping societal resilience across domains such as work, health, education, media, food, safety, and defense.
Pre-registration is now open.
Full programme details will follow.
Across three days, the conference is structured around a shared journey:
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, September 29, 2026, evening | Pre-conference welcome reception and drinks. |
| Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | The main program begins by examining shared societal challenges and current realities of AI across domains such as work, health, education, media, food, safety, and defense, and creating a common understanding of where we are now. |
| Thursday, October 1, 2026 | The discussion shifts towards transition and the way forward, bringing research, policy, and practice into dialogue through workshops, debates, demos, and an expo-style showcase, including a startup competition focused on responsible AI solutions. |
| Friday, October 2, 2026 | Now we will look ahead, centring on skills, education, and long-term change, and exploring what is needed to support responsible AI development and use over time. |
Across all days, the programme combines academic research with hands-on and interactive formats, creating space for exchange across disciplines and sectors.
Who should attend
This conference is for:
- Researchers working on (Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects of) AI and societal impact
- Policymakers shaping AI governance and regulation
- Practitioners applying AI in real-world contexts
- Societal partners, communicators, and civil society actors
We actively encourage participation across disciplines and sectors.
This event is organized by the network of ELSA Labs in the Netherlands (The ELSA Labs Network Project, ELSA Lab AI MAPS, ELSA Lab Media & Democracy, ELSA Lab Defence, ELSA Lab Northern Netherlands, and the ELSA Lab AI4SFS).
In collaboration with Erasmus University Rotterdam’s initiatives SEISMEC, COALESCE, AI@EUR, ECDA, CLI, AI PACT and AICON.

With financial support from:

Submit a proposal
You can submit a proposal on this EasyChair webpage. Please read the information below before you submit your proposal.
We invite abstracts for presentations and posters
We welcome both:
- Theoretical contributions (e.g. conceptual, philosophical, or critical reflections on ELSA and responsible AI), and
- Empirical and practice-based contributions (e.g. case studies, applied research, policy work, design practices, or lived experiences with AI systems)
We encourage contributions from beyond academia, including public sector actors, civil society, industry, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
Submission guidelines
- The submitting author is required to ensure that all co-authors are aware of and agree with the content of the abstract submission.
- All abstracts should be written in English and be no longer than 300 words.
- Note that you are allowed to submit maximally two abstracts per person.
- All submissions should include information on the background, methods, results and conclusions of the submitted work. Only submissions following the abstract template (see template below) will be considered.
- Presenters of accepted submissions are expected to register within 1 month of acceptance notification. Conference participation is free of charge, however participants must organise and fund their travel and stay themselves.
As part of the submission, you will be asked to indicate:
- Your professional affiliation and current role.
- Your preferred presentation format (oral or poster).
- Your intended audience.
- The application domain(s) your work relates to (e.g. health, defence, etc.).
- The ELSA aspects addressed in your contribution.
Themes & presentation formats
Submissions may address (but are not limited to) the following themes:
- ELSA of AI (ethical, legal and societal aspects of AI systems and infrastructure)
- Conducting responsible AI / ELSA research (methods, reflexivity, interdisciplinary collaboration, transdisciplinary approaches)
- Fostering responsible AI in application domains (e.g. health, sustainability, media, safety, public administration, education, human resource management)
- Impacts of (responsible) AI development and implementation (societal, institutional, environmental, psychological, or economic effects, boundaries, opportunities or limitations of AI use)
- The role and impact of ELSA collaboration, methods, approaches (e.g. what difference do ELSA frameworks actually make?)
- Enhancing critical understanding and use of (generative) AI (tools, skills, AI literacy, engagement with target groups, explainable AI and science communication)
Based on a review process, authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to either give:
- Oral presentations (10–15 minute presentation within a themed session)
- Poster presentations (Visual presentation with dedicated discussion time)
Participants can indicate if they prefer a poster presentation rather than an oral presentation. Submissions should indicate whether they are intended for academic audiences, non-academic audiences, or mixed audiences.
Submission template
Structure of the abstract:
- Background: What problem does the submission focus on? What is known about this problem?
- Research approach: What is the central question? Research design and method.
- Findings: What are the main outcomes and results? And discussion of findings.
- Conclusion: Contribution and practical implications. Topics to be studied or developed further.
Practical Information about the submitter:
- Your professional affiliation and current role;
- Your preferred presentation format (oral or poster).
Pre-register here
- More information
If you have any questions, please contact ai.hhh@eur.nl.
