State of Europe: How tech and society shape one another

AI, digital platforms and personalised information systems are transforming how people work, learn, communicate and participate in society, changing not only how individuals access information, but how they form opinions, build relationships and engage with the world. As these technologies become embedded across cultural and creative industries, education, healthcare and media, they are redefining how citizens interact with each other and how information itself is produced and consumed.

Yet technology does not develop in a vacuum. Societies shape technological progress through their values, behaviours and choices. As digital tools become more powerful and pervasive, citizens face important questions about trust, identity, human connection and the future of shared public spaces and experiences.

How are emerging technologies changing the way people access information, services and make decisions? How will society respond as AI reshapes so many of its foundations? What kind of relationship should societies seek to build with emerging technologies?

Join some of Europe’s leading thinkers, policymakers and innovators for a collective reflection on the relationship between technology and society. Looking ahead, the challenge is not simply how technology will evolve, but what future societies and human interactions will look like as a result. 

Speakers include:

- Loubna Bouarfa, Founder, FactTrace, Member of the Board of Advisors, Oxford Internet Institute, European Young Leader (EYL40)

- Mariagrazia Squicciarini, Chief Researcher, Sciences Sector, UNESCO

- Philippe De Backer, Managing Director, Public Policy EMEA, KKR Global Institute, and former minister for Telecommunications and Postal Services, Digital Agenda and North Sea

- Disa Jironet, Dutch National Prosecutor on Discrimination, European Young Leader (EYL40)

- Andrea Pappin, Co-Founder, Common Good

In collaboration with Friends of Europe as part of their 2026 State of Europe high-level roundtable.