Pontifical Academy for Life

The University for Peace of the United Nations (UPEACE) – Rome Office –, in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical Lateran University, is pleased to announce the AI4Peace 2026 International Call for Papers.

AI4Peace represents the first biennial global symposium dedicated to examining the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in conflict prevention, the protection of human rights, and the promotion of peace. The initiative is grounded in the recognition that AI systems are not ethically neutral artefacts. Rather, they embody design choices, training datasets, and optimisation objectives that can generate profound social consequences. For this reason, directing the development and deployment of AI toward peaceful and ethical ends constitutes a scientific challenge even before it becomes a political or regulatory concern.

The symposium seeks to foster critical and interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars, researchers, and practitioners from diverse fields. Contributions are invited that explore theoretical, empirical, methodological, and applied perspectives on the relationship between AI and peacebuilding processes. Particular emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary approaches that bridge technology, ethics, law, social sciences, and policy.

Key Dates

• Extended abstract submission (500 words): 30 April 2026
  Submissions should be sent to: conference@ai4peace.ai
• Symposium dates: 20–22 September 2026
  Venue: Pontifical Lateran University, Rome
• Publication opportunity: Selected papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society (Emerald)
• Submission portal: www.ai4peace.ai

Scholars at all stages of their careers, including doctoral candidates, are warmly encouraged to contribute. The organizers also invite recipients of this call to share it with colleagues and collaborators whose research may be relevant to the themes of the symposium.

AI4Peace 2026 aims to contribute to the development of a responsible and ethically grounded framework for AI, promoting its potential as a tool for peace in an increasingly complex global landscape.