On 26 June 2026, the second online research seminar was held as part of the international project I-LINK – Civic AI: Artificial Intelligence at the Service of Society. The seminar, titled "Artificial Intelligence: Human Rights and the Rule of Law", brought together scholars and experts from leading universities and research institutions across Europe, Asia, and Australia, who presented their latest research on the legal regulation and societal applications of artificial intelligence.

The event was organized by Patrick Keyzer (Australian Catholic University) and Pompeu Casanovas (IIIA-CSIC, La Trobe University, and IDT-UAB), while the scientific sessions were chaired by Patrick Keyzer and Marta Poblet (The Data Tank, Brussels).

The Civic AI initiative explores how artificial intelligence can be placed at the service of society by supporting the protection of human rights, democratic institutions, and the rule of law through the development of robust ethical and legal frameworks for its use. The project's second seminar brought together the diverse research streams of the international consortium, focusing on the development of a shared conceptual framework for Civic AI, regulatory mechanisms for protecting fundamental rights, and the application of artificial intelligence in areas such as justice, finance, and public policy.

The programme addressed a range of current topics, including the conceptual foundations of Civic AI, the European and international regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence, the application of AI in the financial sector, public policy, and legal practice. It traced the evolution of the field from the theoretical foundations of Civic AI and comparative regulatory models to practical applications and contemporary methodological approaches.

Assoc. Prof. Marina Stefanova, PhD, from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, actively participated in the event as an invited discussant of the research paper "The Mindful Political Economy of AI: Emancipatory Approaches", presented by Thu Nguyen, Simeon Simoff, David Arness, and Quang Vinh Nguyen. The paper examined the impact of artificial intelligence on power relations, human attention, and decision-making autonomy, introducing the concept of the Mindful Political Economy of AI (MPEA)—a framework that explores the interactions between individual behaviour, organisational practices, institutional governance, and political-economic processes in the context of AI development. The subsequent scientific discussion focused on opportunities to build more responsible and society-oriented ecosystems for the development and governance of artificial intelligence.

The seminar was held in a hybrid format, with participants attending both at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne and online via Microsoft Teams, enabling an active exchange of ideas among members of the international academic community.

The event is part of the I-LINK series of research seminars, which promote interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence, law, public governance, and innovation.

The next online research seminar will take place as part of the Annual Conference of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at the end of November 2026.