From 18 to 20 May, Teun Voost (QoLEAD) attended the Digital Society conference Re:publica in Berlin. Below, he shares his key insights and reflections.
Hope with a critical edge
From 18 to 20 May, I was in Berlin for the Digital Society conference Re:publica. The conference largely centered on hope, but always combined with an active and critical attitude towards the digital society.
“Technology is not something that simply happens to us.”
“We ourselves shape how it develops and is applied.”
In a time when technological developments are accelerating rapidly, the message was clear: we need awareness, critical reflection, and active engagement.
AI, power and responsibility
During the conference, there was considerable focus on the role of Big Tech and social media in societal decision-making and in healthcare. In particular, the position of AI was discussed extensively: Who benefits from AI? How is AI governed (or not)? And how can we move towards more democratic, transparent, and human-centered applications?
I attended sessions on topics such as AI in healthcare, digital transitions, and digital sovereignty. I also heard investigative journalists such as Carole Cadwalladr and Karen Hao speak about the impact and risks of data use and AI development by major technology companies. Their stories highlighted the importance of remaining critical of the scale, power, and influence of these systems.
Working together for a human-centered digital society
What stood out most was the strong emphasis on a transdisciplinary approach. The question kept returning: how can citizens, governments, scientists, journalists, NGOs, and technology developers work together towards a livable digital society?
Talks by Karen Hao, Cory Doctorow, and Quinn Slobodian were impactful not only for their critical insights, but also for their hopeful perspective.
“An activist stance doesn’t have to be grand or radical.”
“Small, conscious choices also matter.”
The motto of this year’s Re:publica captured this sentiment perfectly: “never gonna give you up.”
A call to stay engaged, not to give up, and to keep thinking critically about how we build a fair and democratic digital society.
What does this mean for QoLEAD?
These insights strongly align with how we at QoLEAD approach digital and healthcare transitions:critical, collaborative, and always with attention to the human behind the technology.