HumanTech Summit 2026 – 3-5 December 2026, Central House of Technology (CDT)
HumanTech Summit 2026
On December 3–5, 2026 – Startup Event on 3 December and the main conference on 4–5 December at the Central House of Technology (CDT), 50 Krucza Street, Warsaw – we will once again bring together leading thinkers, researchers, innovators, and decision-makers to explore the evolving relationship between people and technology. Under the theme “Beyond Intelligence: Human Futures in a Technological World” this year’s edition dives deep into the opportunities, risks, and responsibilities defining our shared future.
Join us for a multidisciplinary conversation at the intersection of humanity and innovation.
Get your ticket (opens in a new tab) See the program
Conference from 250 PLN · Startup Event and online access free
What to expect?
Expect inspiring keynote speeches, engaging discussions and interactive workshops that explore the evolving relationship between humans and technology.
We plan to address key and current issues related to the relationship between humans and technology, strongly focusing on the following sessions:
- AI Governance, Law and Digital SovereigntyRead more →
Session I: AI Governance, Law and Digital Sovereignty
How should societies govern AI? From the EU AI Act to deepfake regulation and digital sovereignty, this session tackles the legal and political frameworks shaping how AI is built, deployed and controlled.
What you will explore
- The EU AI Act in practice – what it changes for oversight, medical devices and fundamental rights
- Digital sovereignty and open-source AI: who controls the infrastructure we depend on?
- Regulating deepfakes and synthetic media – when law meets a moving target
Why join
For legal scholars, policymakers, technologists and anyone who wants to understand the rules being written around AI – and help write better ones.
- AI as a Social and Moral PartnerRead more →
Session II: AI as a Social and Moral Partner
We increasingly treat AI as if it can think, feel and care. This session asks when that perception helps, when it misleads – and what it means for how we regulate and design machines that act as social partners.
What you will explore
- When should AI show empathy – and when is it manipulation?
- How perceiving ‘mind’ in machines shapes our acceptance and calls for regulation
- Moral decision-making by robots: design choices with real consequences
Why join
For psychologists, ethicists, AI designers and anyone curious about what happens when machines enter the social and moral world we thought was ours alone.
- Identity, Intimacy and Influence in Human–AI InteractionRead more →
Session III: Identity, Intimacy and Influence in Human–AI Interaction
AI is becoming companion, mirror and persuader. This session explores how interactions with AI reshape identity, desire and trust – from workplace attitudes to intimate digital relationships.
What you will explore
- How professionals relate to AI: companion, rival or tool?
- Intimacy, desire and the future of co-constructed digital relationships
- How AI response time and communication style influence our decisions and trust
Why join
For researchers, designers and communicators interested in the psychological and social dynamics that emerge when humans and AI grow closer.
- AI Literacy, Learning and Epistemic AgencyRead more →
Session IV: AI Literacy, Learning and Epistemic Agency
AI is changing how we learn, teach and know. But does more AI assistance make students smarter – or more dependent? This session focuses on building genuine AI literacy and protecting our ability to think for ourselves.
What you will explore
- From assistance to dependence: what happens when students rely on generative AI
- Measuring and building AI literacy among teachers
- Teaching when NOT to use AI – educators as guardians of epistemic agency
Why join
For educators, curriculum designers, students and policymakers who want AI in education to empower thinking, not replace it.
- Human Factors, Accessibility and Inclusive TechnologiesRead more →
Session V: Human Factors, Accessibility and Inclusive Technologies
Technology that works for some and excludes others is not good enough. This session examines how human factors research, accessibility science and inclusive design can make technology serve everyone.
What you will explore
- Usable does not mean accessible – the hidden cognitive cost of technology
- Smart homes and independence for people with disabilities
- Immersive training for crisis response: evidence from VR environments
Why join
For UX researchers, accessibility specialists, engineers and anyone who believes the best technology is the kind that leaves nobody behind.
- Human-Centered AI: Design, Analysis and Societal FuturesRead more →
Session VI: Human-Centered AI: Design, Analysis and Societal Futures
Where is human–AI collaboration heading? This session looks at the bigger picture – from how young designers co-create with AI to what political language reveals about us, and how we model a more human-centred future.
What you will explore
- Human–AI collaboration frameworks: insights from young designers and practitioners
- Digital fashion, social identity and the metaverse as a new social interface
- Using AI to analyse political language and map psychological profiles
Why join
For designers, social scientists, futurists and interdisciplinary thinkers who want to shape what human-centred AI means in practice.
Keynote Speakers
Additional Events
Scientific Committee
Organizing Committee
Dorota Pągowska
Executive Coordinator
Izabela Głębicka
Ariadna Gołębicka
Basia Klecha
Liza Tanska
Anne Nießen
Bartosz Ferensztajn
Kamila Kubiec
Katarzyna Jurczak
Organizer
Honorary Patronage
Strategic Partners
Strategic IT Partner
Partners
HumanTech Summit 2026 at a glance
- What
- HumanTech Summit 2026 – the 5th edition of an international, English-language conference on human-centered AI and the relationship between people and technology. Theme: “Beyond Intelligence: Human Futures in a Technological World”.
- When
- Startup Event on Thursday 3 December 2026 (from 11:00, with the premiere of the Standard for Responsible AI Implementation from the UN Global Compact Network Poland Governance Compass programme); main conference on 4–5 December 2026. Evening of 4 December: discussion panel on technology, art and theatre (19:30), a hybrid performance directed by Krzysztof Garbaczewski (20:30) and the Networking Party / Get Together Party (22:00).
- Organisers
- HumanTech Center at SWPS University, with UN Global Compact Network Poland.
- Keynote speakers
- Joanna Bryson (Hertie School), Virginia Dignum (Umeå University), Sangeet Khemlani (US Naval Research Laboratory) and Peng Liu (Zhejiang University).
- Topics
- AI governance, law and digital sovereignty; AI as a social and moral partner; identity and intimacy in human–AI interaction; AI literacy and learning; human factors and accessibility; human-centered AI design.
- Scale
- 5th edition. Registrations in the conference system: 1,090 for HumanTech Summit 2024 and 874 for 2025, plus 73 for HumanTech Hack 2024; speakers from Europe, the USA, Qatar and China.
- Tickets
- Conference 500 PLN, students 250 PLN, Get Together Party 99 PLN; Startup Event and online access free – humantechsummit.com/tickets/.
Speakers and committee
Joanna Bryson
Sangeet Khemlani
Virginia Dignum
Peng Liu
Piotr Sankowski
Włodzisław Duch
Maria Ganzha
Michał Kosiński
Aleksandra Przegalińska
Piotr Winkielman
Agnieszka Wykowska
Konrad Maj
David Sypniewski
Piotr Senkus
Martyna Groth
Emily Cross
Emile Kroeger
Michael W. Morris
Andrew Przybylski
Jessica M. Szczuka
Nina Jane Patel
Katherine Stapleton
Arvid Kappas
Matt Motyl
S. Shyam Sundar
Krzysztof Gawkowski
Roman Cieślak
Atilla Arda Beşen
Róża Kozłowska
Michał Parkoła
Sonia Ziemba
Przemysłam Budnicki
Michał Jędrzejewski
Michał Kotnowski
Christian Klaes
Zillah Watson
Anna Ciaunica
Anne Scherer
Selma Sabanovic
Jonathan Gratch
Youyou Wu
Tara S. Behrend
Moshe Y. Vardi
Nathanael J. Fast
Andrew H. SchwartzFrequently asked questions
When and where is HumanTech Summit 2026?
HumanTech Summit 2026 takes place on 3–5 December 2026 in Warsaw, Poland. The Startup Event is on 3 December and the main conference on 4–5 December, at the Central House of Technology (CDT), Krucza 50.
Who organises HumanTech Summit?
The conference is organised by the HumanTech Center at SWPS University in Warsaw, together with UN Global Compact Network Poland. The Organizing Committee is chaired by Konrad Maj, Head of the HumanTech Center.
What is HumanTech Summit about?
It is a multidisciplinary conference on human-centered AI: how artificial intelligence and other technologies change law, ethics, relationships, learning, work and accessibility – with researchers, industry and policymakers on one stage.
Which AI conferences take place in Warsaw in December 2026?
HumanTech Summit 2026 is an AI conference in Warsaw on 3–5 December 2026 at the Central House of Technology (CDT). It covers human-centered AI, AI ethics, AI governance and law, human–AI interaction and AI literacy, with international keynote speakers and a startup pitch competition.
Is HumanTech Summit an AI ethics and AI governance conference?
Yes. AI ethics and AI governance are core tracks: Session I covers AI governance, law and digital sovereignty (including the EU AI Act), Session II AI as a social and moral partner. Keynote speakers Joanna Bryson and Virginia Dignum are leading AI ethics researchers.
Is HumanTech Summit in English?
Yes. HumanTech Summit is an international, English-language conference: all keynotes, sessions, the call for papers and the Startup Event pitches are in English, so no Polish is needed to take part.
How big is HumanTech Summit?
HumanTech Summit 2026 is the 5th edition. The conference registration system recorded 1,090 registrations for HumanTech Summit 2024 and 874 for HumanTech Summit 2025, plus 73 for HumanTech Hack 2024. Keynote speakers come from Germany, Sweden, Qatar and China; the Scientific Committee includes researchers from Stanford, UC San Diego, the Italian Institute of Technology and Polish universities.
How much does a ticket to HumanTech Summit 2026 cost?
A Participant ticket for the main conference (4–5 December) costs 500 PLN and a Student ticket 250 PLN. The Get Together Party on 4 December is 99 PLN; the Startup Event on 3 December and online access are free. See the tickets page.
How can a startup take part?
Startups at MVP stage or later can apply to the HumanTech Startup Challenge for free until 10 November 2026. Selected teams pitch to investors on 3 December 2026.
How can my organisation become a partner?
Partner packages (Silver, Gold, Platinum or custom) are described on the Become a Partner page; contact htsummit@swps.edu.pl.
htsummit@swps.edu.pl
HumanTech Center, SWPS University,
Chodakowska street 19/31
03-815 Warsaw, Poland