Under the motto ‘The day after it all’, this year’s program focuses on reflecting on the immediate future of society and cities, addressing topics such as democracy, memory, post-colonialism, feminism, technological changes and climate, and the great cultural debates. This edition reinforces its commitment to open the doors of knowledge and thought to all citizenship, with a wide range of free activities for all audiences.

An open look at the cities of the future

The Biennial of Thought raises reflections on how cities must adapt to the new global scenarios, maintaining themselves as spaces for coexistence, freedom and progress. In it, different city models can be explored and debated on how urban planning can contribute to creating fairer and more equal communities.

This fourth edition emphasizes the intersection between city and technology, analyzing the opportunities and challenges that new technological tools pose for the future of cities. Issues such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the use of massive data and the future of work in a hyper-connected world will be addressed.

A space for science and innovation

In line with the aim of encouraging an open and multidisciplinary debate, the activities related to science and technology will offer an opportunity to reflect on the interaction between innovation, society and the environment.

Scientific topics will be protagonists in various formats, from informative talks to interactive workshops, through debates that will bring together experts from different disciplines. Topics such as the impact of artificial intelligence on everyday life, the ethical implications of technology, the future of science in the face of environmental challenges or the innovative solutions that are being applied on a global scale to mitigate the effects will be discussed of climate change.

Some examples of these activities are the debate ‘Beyond the human: transhumanism and artificial intelligence’, where it will be considered how to ethically treat future biotechnologically improved entities; the conference ‘How to escape the tyranny of algorithms: Proposals for thinking about the future from the sciences and the humanities’, where it will be discussed what impacts technological and biological advances and global socio-ecological challenges will have; or the talk ‘Understanding Kant at once’, where the role of social networks, the challenges of artificial intelligence and the climate crisis will be analysed. All this, with the aim of bringing science and innovation closer to citizenship, highlighting their key role in building more resilient and sustainable societies.

The Biennial of Thought offers activities aimed at people of all ages and interests. From practical sessions where the youngest can experiment with scientific concepts, to conferences where philosophical and social issues will be debated.