Session
Organizer 1: Vladimir Legoyda, Russian Orthodox Church
Organizer 2: Mary Lou Rissa Cunanan, 🔒Suyomano
Organizer 3: Alim Khapov, 🔒National Research University Higher School of Economics
Speaker 1: Roberto Zambrana, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Gabriella Marcelja, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Milos Jovanovic, Private Sector, Eastern European Group
Speaker 4: Othman Almoamar , Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Vladimir Legoyda, Civil Society, Eastern European Group
Mary Lou Rissa Cunanan, Private Sector, Asia-Pacific Group
Alim Khapov, Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: The chosen layout and duration are suited for this sort of activity for several reasons. At first unlike the Classroom or Theater formats the Roundtable layout encourages a less formal debate, it brings everyone into the same conversational space, the onsite audience feels itself less in the role of listener but as a part of the activity. Moreover that way speakers can clearly see each other and exchange ideas and opinions in a free flowing conversation.
A 60-minute duration allows for more time to cover broad areas without overwhelming both speakers and participants. And exactly half of the time will be provided for the Q&A session between participants and speakers.
1. What defines the limit in regard to technological determinism, should society be wary of emerging technologies?
2. How does a person secure his identity and role amid the rapid informatisation of society, what does it mean to retain one’s humanity?
3. Do faith and spirituality have a place in the new world we find ourselves in, how technologies transform religion and the way some of us interact with the divine?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Organizers of the discussion aim to raise issues of high concern not only to active users, but also to the general public, which nowadays interacts with digital technologies on a day to day basis. Prior to the session through several preparatory meetings with members of the IGF community we plan to gather meaningful moral and ethical questions, which concern people, such as “digital immortality”, “role of parentage in the Digital Age”, “in AI we trust – too much ?”.
Participants of the discussion both onsite and online will have an opportunity to see how representatives of different societies and religions attempt to reconcile their beliefs with new realities. Organizers and moderators of the discussion will invite immediate feedback from the audience, moreover it is expected that speakers will dedicate exactly half of the runtime to the Q&A session and debate with online and onsite participants.
Description:
Human history is inextricably linked to the history of technological innovations, it is a story of humanity mastering the environment through crafting ever-new technologies that propel us into new epochs. Today the Internet stands as the single ultimate testament to the innovative nature of human beings. Complex web of autonomous networks that spans six continents and is woven together by different cultures, religions and societies as a single tapestry.
As befits its nature, new and not yet fully understood digital technologies spark a lot of fear in the hearts of many and are more often than not viewed as a part of the infamous “creator's paradox”. Mass media and expert community sometimes with or without intentions tend to fuel the debate around the role of such technologies as the AI or Metaverse, even entrusting them with the responsibility of influencing the path of human history.
Discussions concerning the scope of autonomy of these technologies are at the core of this workshop, as speakers from various cultural and religious backgrounds try to revisit their beliefs in the context of digital development and reconcile in search for a vision of human agency in the Digital Age.
The workshop offers to facilitate a philosophical discussion with members of religious communities as well as representatives of technical and academic circles who will try to find an answer to the question: are human beings the ones who are in control when it comes to decisions on how to use digital technologies?
Organizers expect to facilitate a fruitful and thought-provoking session, which aims to become a memorable experience for those involved. This workshop seeks to provide a platform for representatives of different societies and religions to engage in dialogue and share their respective religious and cultural perspectives on the issues of emerging technologies and digital development.
In addition, the interactive nature of the session could result in post-workshop discussions and bringing together participants with different cultural and religious backgrounds. Speaking of more practical outcomes, as organizers we also plan to distribute the information about the sessions, its results and the discussion it facilitated on the social media and information resources of organizations involved in the making of the workshop as well as promote it in the media.
Hybrid Format: As it is customary for the IGF to facilitate hybrid meetings we invite engagement from speakers and participants both in the physical and digital formats. Moderator will proactively guide the conversation and follow the discussion in order to give floor to all speakers and participants wishing to speak up during the Q&A session. Online Moderator will perform similar functions, controlling participation of online speakers and motivating online participants to ask questions and keep the Zoom chat live.
Both moderators will ensure a smooth and effective exchange between participants, tapping into instant messaging systems to share comments from the audience. It is vital for us as organizers to ensure participant’s equal opportunity to engage and add valuable insight to the conversation, whether attendees are physically present or joining online. During Q&A session, which will take up half of the runtime of the session we expect broader dialogue inclusive of all attendees.