Exploring AI, Ethics, and the Digital World Together
Last month, students and scholars from across Europe gathered in Tartu, Estonia for the ENLIGHT Student Network Conference 2026, themed Digitalisation in European Universities: Efficiency, Sustainability and the Human Touch of AI. Over two inspiring days, participants came together for challenging workshops, lively debates, and hands-on experiences centred around digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and their impact on society and everyday life.
Participants dove deep into some of the most pressing questions of our time. Students put themselves in the shoes of employers, banks, and governments, making real selection decisions before comparing their choices with those of AI systems. The results sparked rich discussions about bias, transparency, and whether we should ever delegate high-stakes decisions to algorithms.
Smart cities were brought to life as groups analysed real urban data, grappling with the complexities of digital urban planning, the concept of unintended consequences, and the privacy trade-offs that come with living in a data-driven world.
Creative workshops took students out into the city with cameras in hand, returning to craft imaginative presentations ranging from meta photographic collages to theatrical performances blending images, music, and drama. A reminder that digital tools are also powerful vehicles for artistic expression.
The conference also tackled AI in healthcare, where participants debated questions of trust, inequality, and informed consent around AI-assisted technologies. In discussions on equality and AI, students examined the darker dimensions of generative AI, including data bias, automated decision-making, deep fakes, and the manipulation of democratic processes.
One workshop offered a rare peek behind the curtain, giving students the opportunity to open the "black box" of AI by building their own chatbot from scratch. A hands-on and eye-opening experience that brought the theory to life.
Throughout every session, one thing stood out: the quality of the conversations. Students challenged each other, shared experiences across borders, and engaged with difficult questions with openness and intellectual honesty.
A heartfelt thank you to all workshop hosts for designing such engaging and meaningful sessions, and to every participant who brought their curiosity, critical thinking, and willingness to see things from a different perspective.
Mark your calendars! The next ENLIGHT Student Network Conference will take place 5–7 March 2027 at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen 🇳🇱. We hope to see you there!