2026 Annual Meeting (10th edition)
Shaping Inclusive AI for Ageing Societies
22 – 23 October 2026
WZB Berlin Social Science Centre
Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin
Shaping inclusive AI for ageing societies
This annual meeting examines the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), data infrastructures and algorithmic technologies that are now deeply embedded in the lives of older adults, including their discourses, design, implementation and use. These technologies have been integrated in different aspects of everyday life, including interpersonal relationships, access to information and basic services. Thus, they represent new challenges and research opportunities for Socio-gerontechnology.
This year’s meeting focuses in particular on inclusion, as it is one of the main challenges these technologies pose in relation to ageing and older adults. On the one hand, these systems often fail to represent the diversity of society, which is expressed in biased outputs. On the other hand, these technologies can become a burden for users, when their use is imposed on various aspects of life. Such technologies are not per se inclusive, since they do not automatically cater to everyone’s needs, (dis)abilities or realities. Technology usage affords competencies and knowledge as well as the learning of new skills which might materialise as access barriers. Additionally, age biases and normative assumptions about users’ bodies and capabilities ingrained in the design of these technologies might hinder the intended usage.
Programme
This year’s programme represents interdisciplinary perspectives, and we are looking forward to an exciting programme with more than 40 paper, workshops and panels. The full programme will be published late in June including all abstracts and presenter information.
Registration
The 2026 annual meeting marks the 10th Anniversary of the Socio-gerontechnology Network after its founding meetings in 2016. To celebrate this special occasion — and thanks to the generous hosting and support by the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) and the AnyageAI project — participation is free for everyone. We hope to see you there — please register to attend.
If you are a presenter at the conference, it is important that you register before 1 July.
If you are not yet a member of SGN, we warmly invite you to join the network. Membership connects you to an inclusive and engaging international community of researchers working at the forefront of critical thinking on ageing, technology and society — and helps sustain the network’s activities beyond this meeting. Find out about membership benefits and register here.
Hotel recommendations
There are many hotels in the city of Berlin offering a wide range of accommodation options. Depending on your budget, you can find a suitable option that meets your needs. To assist you with your search, we have compiled a list of hotel recommendations close to the train station, the venue, or in the city center. In addition to these, you can find many more options. To stay within a convenient distance of the venue, we recommend looking for accommodation in Schöneberg or Charlottenburg. One important suggestion is to choose a place near a U-Bahn or S-Bahn station for easy transportation.
The Venue
The WZB Berlin Social Science Center is centrally located. It is just a 5-minute walk from the historic and beautiful Tiergarten and 10 minutes from Potsdamer Platz, a major transportation hub with U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and regional and long-distance train connections. Shared mobility services, including rental bicycles and e-scooters, are also widely available throughout the city and provide a convenient option for short distances. The WZB can be reached from the main railway station within approximately 20 minutes by bus or regional train, both of which are convenient for commuting within Berlin’s city center. Transport from Berlin Brandenburg Airport takes around 40 minutes by train. Additionally, Berlin offers many direct international train connections, including routes to and from the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, and several other European countries.
Socio-gerontechnology Travel Stipends
We are happy to announce that this year we will give several travel stipends of 400 EUR max for paying members presenting a paper or poster at the conference who applied. We shall update those receiving a stipend during the month of June.
Early career researcher event – 21st of October
The conference will be preceded by an Early Career Researchers’ Day on 21 October 2026, offering ECRs the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas in an informal setting. The day will include an input session (speaker to be announced), as well as dedicated time for networking and discussion among participants. This pre-conference event aims to foster collaboration and strengthen the ECR community within the network. The day is planned as a full-day event, beginning in the late morning. The programme will be announced in due course. For further information, please contact ecr@socio-gerontechnology.net.
Organisation Committee
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Justyna Stypińska
AnyAgeAI Project Lead, WZB / Guestprofessor at the Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg -
Halina Nadobni
Post-doc AnyAgeAI project, WZB -
Ittay Mannheim
Post-doc AnyAgeAI project, Department of Methodology and Statistics, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University -
Andrea Rosales
Principal Investigator AnyAGEAI project, Associate Professor, Communication School, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya -
Simone Anna Felding
University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Health, Denmark -
Mathias Denecke
Ruhr-University Bochum, Department of Media Studies -
Alexander Peine
Chair of the Executive Board of the Socio-gerontechnology Network, Open University of The Netherlands
This conference is hosted by The WZB Berlin Social Science Center.