On Friday, February 20, 2026, the “Artificial Intelligence & Ethics: Challenges & Perspectives” conference successfully brought together over 320 participants at the Serafio, Athens. The event created a dynamic platform for dialogue on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quietly—but decisively—shaping every aspect of our lives.

AI is not just about innovation or efficiency. It touches the way we work, educate, make decisions, and participate in democracy. Most importantly, it raises questions about the values we choose to embed in the technologies we design and use.

This conference fostered a shared space for reflection on ethics, human rights, inclusion, and sustainability in the AI era. It brought together policymakers, local authorities, academics, professionals, and civil society around a central question: how do we ensure that AI serves people rather than the other way around?

Technology is never neutral. It reflects choices, priorities, and assumptions. Without conscious investment in knowledge and ethical application, AI risks reproducing inequalities, exclusions, and opaque decision-making systems.

From Public Dialogue to Everyday Practice

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the EU project AI4YouthWorkers (AI4YW), demonstrating how ethical AI can be translated into tangible tools and practices for professionals working with young people. AI4YW empowers youth workers to:

• Understand AI beyond its technical myths and hype;
• Apply AI thoughtfully and ethically in educational and community settings;
• Support young people to navigate the digital world with confidence, awareness, and safety.

Through AI4YW, a common AI competency framework, open educational resources, and hands-on tools and workshops have been developed, bridging the gap between public dialogue on AI and daily practice. The project emphasizes that technology, when applied responsibly, can foster inclusion, empowerment, and human-centered innovation.

Why This Connection Matters

The real challenge is not the technology itself, but the human decisions behind it. The conference highlighted how discussions on values and policy can translate into practical tools, skills, and confidence-building, making technology a means of understanding, support, and inclusion.

Ethical AI is not an abstract concept—it is built step by step, through knowledge, education, and empowerment of those guiding the next generation.

A Personal Invitation

As AI evolves at a pace that often surpasses us, we do not have the luxury of remaining mere observers. We have both the responsibility and the opportunity to actively shape how we coexist with it.

The Artificial Intelligence & Ethics Conference is an open call for everyone ready to reflect, discuss, and co-create a human-centered digital future, grounded in rights, inclusion, and shared values. If we accept that technology mirrors our choices and values, then this conversation concerns us all—and it is worth being part of it—not only to listen but to contribute.

Event Details:
📅 Friday, February 20, 2026 | 09:30
📍 Serafio – Municipality of Athens

Organized by KEAN (Kyttaro of Alternative Explorations) and Diversity Charter Greece, in collaboration with DAEM, the Municipality of Athens, and the National Technical University of Athens, under the auspices of the Ministry of Digital Governance.