From October 20 to 22, 2025, the early-career conference “Imagining Tomorrow”: Artificial Intelligence and Its Role in the Transformation of Society, Education, and Religion took place in Eichstätt. The event was supported by the Center for Religion, Church, and Society in Transition (ZRKG) and organized by Dr. Dr. Mariusz Chrostowski, Dr. Edda Mack, and Dr. Carolin Rutzmoser.
The conference explored how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our social, educational, and religious realities—and how we might respond to these changes reflectively and responsibly. Early-career researchers from theology, philosophy, sociology, computer science, and related fields engaged in interdisciplinary discussions on the opportunities and ambivalences of this transformation.
Among the speakers were Marcel Scholz (Mainz), Michael Hahn (Erlangen–Nuremberg), Christopher Koska (Munich), Raphael Ronge (Munich), Markus Maier (Munich), Christoph Heilig (Munich), Julia van der Linde (Münster), Benedikt Rauw (Eichstätt), Anna Puzio (Bern), Carolin Rutzmoser (Munich), Katharina Yadav (Zurich), Florian Brustkern (Bamberg), Max Tretter (Erlangen–Nuremberg), and Yannik Schlote (Munich).
The conference was characterized by an inspiring academic atmosphere, intensive discussions, and a strong interdisciplinary spirit. It became evident that engaging with artificial intelligence reaches far beyond technical questions: it touches the very understanding of what it means to be human, to educate, and to believe in an increasingly digital world.
A publication of the conference contributions is in preparation and scheduled for release in 2026.
