Human & Machine: Utopian Visions for the Digital Future

What would a world look like where technology truly serves everyone? What if artificial
intelligence helped us solve the great challenges of our time? How would a democracy look that is empowered by digital possibilities rather than threatened by them?
In a time when discussions about digitalization are often dominated by fears and problems, this week-long seminar invites young people from around the world to shift their perspective.
We move away from dystopian nightmare scenarios toward inspiring utopias of a digital future that we can shape ourselves. Together we will develop utopian visions for a digital-human future and design concrete ideas for Democracy 4.0. We will explore new forms of coexistence between humans and machines while exchanging international perspectives on digital transformation. Most importantly, we will move from vision to implementation by developing action strategies for practice.
"The future is not something that happens to us, but something we create."
In times of acceleration and uncertainty, we have lost the ability to dream of better worlds. Yet utopias are not naive wishful thinking – they are powerful tools for social change. They show us what is possible beyond current limitations and inspire us to work toward these visions.
This seminar is built on the conviction that young people are not just affected by digital
transformation, but are its architects. We believe that positive visions are more powerful
motivators than problem analyses, that international collaboration is essential for global digital challenges, that technology should serve humanity rather than the other way around, and that democracy must evolve to remain relevant in the digital age.