Concept note
On Being Human in the Age of AI — a global series of letters, dialogues and declarations. Concept note, July 2026.
Background and rationale
The impulse for this project is the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, and a shared conviction: that the question of what is human cannot be answered by companies or governments alone. It must be asked, and answered, in public — by people of faith and of science, by citizens and artists, by those who care for others and by those who are coming of age alongside intelligent machines.
The series is a joint effort of the Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy and The Aula Fellowship, two organisations that convene across the boundaries of public life, science, the arts and the life of faith.
The central question
What must remain fundamentally human, and be protected, in the age of AI?
The Humanitas Letters
The heart of the project is a series of commissioned essays — the Humanitas Letters — of roughly 750 to 1,500 words, written in an accessible register and published under the author's own name.
Letters are welcomed from six strands of contemporary life:
- Faith and contemplative life
- Science and technology
- Democratic and public life
- Arts and letters
- Care and community
- The rising generation
The online portal
The portal synthesises the recurring themes of the letters and hosts the global response: public reflections, curated alongside the letters. Publication is rolling. The portal may also carry audio and video readings, recorded discussions and translations.
Events
Webinar series
A webinar series, clustered around the letters and carried by the Aula Impact Podcast, is hosted jointly by the Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy and The Aula Fellowship, with partner institutions. Recordings and summaries are published on the portal.
In-person events
- Athens Democracy Forum — late September / early October 2026 — an AI Day on the global stage.
- The Broughton Retreat — a residential gathering in the spirit of the letters.
Indicative timeline
- July 2026 — design and invitations
- August 2026 onward — publication and response
- September 2026 – January 2027 — dialogue: the webinar series
- Late September 2026 — global stage: AI Day at the Athens Democracy Forum
- 2027–2028 — further activities, toward a Declaration of Principles on AI for Human Flourishing
Governance
The project is jointly stewarded by the Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy and The Aula Fellowship through a small editorial and curatorial board. It is co-funded and volunteer-dependent, and welcomes funders and partners who share its question.
An invitation
If the question of what must remain fundamentally human in the age of AI is your question too, we invite you to read the letters, to respond, and to join the dialogue. Read the letters, or contribute your own.