Decidim Fest 2023: A Key Event in the European Capital of Democracy

October 23, 2023

A three-day event held at the Canodrom exploring the convergence of Technology, Democracy and Collective Intelligence

This October, the city of Barcelona hosted an exceptional event that explores the intersection between technology and democracy. Decidim Fest 2023 has brought together brilliant minds from around the world to debate the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its relationship with citizen participation.

With the motto "Democracy, Technology and Collective Intelligence", this annual meeting took place at the Canòdrom - Ateneu d'Innovación Digital i Democràtica de Barcelona between 18 and 20 October. The event, which is part of the activities of the European Capital of Democracy (ECod), hosted 40 national and international experts, as well as 10 short user presentations and 6 interactive workshops and more than 250 participants.

Decidim Fest 2023 has been a key meeting point to explore the growing influence of AI in everyday life and democracy. Papers and presentations addressed crucial topics, including the risks of indiscriminate use of AI, the ethical governance of technology, and ways to ensure that AI serves all dimensions of society.

Highlights included a presentation on "Participatory Brazil," a participation platform based on Decidim software that has engaged millions of citizens and serves as an example of the software's global application. "Toward the Democratization of Artificial Intelligence" explored the ethical and legal issues surrounding AI, and "Reimagining the Future" emphasized how feminist practices can influence AI and defend human rights.

The event took place over three days with an Open Assembly of the Decidim Association on Wednesday 18, which presented the Sustainability Plan and the latest improvements to the platform. On Thursday the 19th, the papers addressed the ethical challenges of AI and feminist practices. On Friday the 20th, presentations and hands-on workshops were offered by the community.

Decidim Fest has been made possible thanks to the collaboration between Decidim, Barcelona City Council, the European Capital of Democracy, the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan, the Generalitat de Catalunya and Localret.

Upcoming events of the ECoD

Next November 8 at 9.15 a.m., as part of the Smart City Expo World Congress, the director of Democratic Innovation of Barcelona City Council, Arnau Monterde, will participate in the session 'Public Code & Technologies: Upcoming Digital and Democratic Challenges for Europe' which will take place at Fira Barcelona.

Check out the rest of the schedule.