With the Academy Abroad 2026, KAAD is putting Latin America at the center of the global debate on artificial intelligence. The focus is not only on technical development, but also on the question of how innovation influences social responsibility, justice and the understanding of human dignity. KAAD sees this debate as a central challenge in a changing world - and as an opportunity to offer guidance from an international, interdisciplinary and Christian-inspired perspective.
AI is profoundly changing the realities of life - in healthcare as well as in education, research, art, communication and spirituality. While techno-logical developments in parts of Latin America are progressing at a rapid pace, specific questions about social participation, ethical governance and cultural embedding are arising at the same time. The Academy would like to give space to these areas of tension and promote a dialog that not only describes technological progress, but also focuses on social issues.
The KAAD Academy Abroad 2026 is dedicated to the social, cultural and ethical implications of AI from a Latin American perspective. A particular focus is on the topic of global health: how is AI changing medical diagnostics, healthcare and access to knowledge? What are the risks - such as unequal availability of data, lack of transparency in automated decisions or dependence on private sector infrastructure?
Other areas of life also come under scrutiny: Education, research, art, interpersonal relationships and religious practice. In this context, the late Pope Francis pointed out that AI has become one of the greatest challenges for the preservation of human dignity, justice and work - an impulse that the Academy takes up in a church context. The Academy sees itself as a forum for dialog between science, the church and society and at the same time as a place where ethical issues and international cooperation are brought together and discussed.
