Algorithmic Age:
Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law

 

Thematic Conference on the occasion of the Inaugural Meeting of

the Steering Committee for New and Emerging Digital Technologies (CDNET)

 15 April 2026   9:30 AM – 6:30 PM Strasbourg, Palais de l’Europe, Room 1

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 Programme

08:30 – 09:30 Welcoming coffee
09:30 – 10:00 Opening Session

Host: Mr Mario HERNANDEZ RAMOS, Former Chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)

  • Ms Michelle ILIEV, State Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalisation, Republic of Moldova
  • Ms Hanne JUNCHER, Director, Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
  • Mr Gabriel REVEL, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the Council of Europe, forthcoming Presidency
10:00 – 12:00 Panel I – Human Dignity and Individual Autonomy in the Age of Advanced Sensing

New sensing technologies increasingly allow continuous inference about individuals’ identity, behaviour and physical or emotional states. Bringing together technical experts, policy practitioners and human rights specialists, this panel will examine both the capabilities and the limits of these technologies and their implications for dignity, autonomy and privacy. Particular attention will be given to real-world deployment contexts and the safeguards needed to protect individuals, especially children and other vulnerable persons.

Moderator: Mr Mario HERNANDEZ RAMOS, Former Chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)

  • Ms Murielle POPA FABRE (online), NLP/ML Expert for AI Policies, Responsible AI Policies and Governance | Computational Neuroscientist | x INRIA & Cornell Researcher
  • Ms Pam DIXON, Fondatrice et directeur exécutif, World Privacy Forum
  • Ms Victoria GRECH, Founder and CEO TRUZENTIA.IO, Advisor to the Scottish Government on AI, United Kingdom
  • Ms Siobhán O’SULLIVAN, Executive Director, Royal Irish Academy, Member of CDBIO
  • Ms Victoria BAINES (online), Professor, Gresham College, author of the Background paper for the Lanzarote Committee on Emerging technologies: threats and opportunities for the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse
  • Mr Yoichi IIDA (online), Special Policy Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, Japan
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break
14:00 – 16:00 Panel II – The Rule of Law in the Algorithmic State

Digital technologies are reshaping the information environment in which democratic debate and political participation take place. Bringing together experts from academia, policy, technology and international governance, this panel will explore the real-world dynamics of generative content, algorithmic amplification and synthetic actors in the public sphere. The discussion will focus on how democratic resilience can be strengthened while safeguarding freedom of expression and pluralism.

Moderator: Ms Hanne JUNCHER, Director, Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Council of Europe

  • Ms Virginia DIGNUM, Professor of Responsible AI at Umeå University, co-chair of the ACM Tech Policy Council, member of UNESCO’s High-Level Expert Group on the implementation of the UNESCO AI Ethics Recommendation, and member of the OECD Expert Group on AI Futures
  • Mr Paul DALY (online), Professor, University of Ottawa, The University Research Chair in Administrative Law & Governance at the University of Ottawa
  • Mr Jean-Luc SAURON, Councillor of State, France and associate professor at Université Paris Dauphine
  • Mr Alejandro FERNANDEZ MUÑOZ, Head of the Office to the Director General of International Legal Cooperation Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with Parliament of Spain, Member of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ)
  • Mr Marcos SALT, Director of the postgraduate Specialization on Cybercrime and Digital Evidence, Faculty of Law, University of Buenos Aires, Former Member of the Bureau of the TC-Y of the Convention on Cybercrime of the Council of Europe
16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break
16:30 – 18:30 Panel III – Algorithmic Democracy: Opportunities and Risks

Digital technologies are transforming how information circulates, public debate unfolds and democratic participation takes place. From generative content systems to algorithmic amplification and synthetic actors, these developments create new opportunities but also risks for democratic processes. This panel will examine how societies can strengthen democratic resilience while safeguarding freedom of expression, pluralism and open public debate.

Moderator: Ms Tatiana MONNEY, Policy Adviser for the New Democratic Pact, Council of Europe

 

  • Mr Thomas SCHNEIDER, Ambassador, Vice-Director and Co-Director at OFCOM, Switzerland, former Chair and Vice-Chair of the CAI
  • Mr Oreste POLLICINO, Full Professor of Constitutional Law and AI Law at Bocconi University, Italy; President of the Centre for Digital Constitutionalism and Policy (DICOPO)
  • Ms Brittan HELLER (online), Professor, Stanford University, USA, Council of Europe expert for "Freedom of Expression in Immersive Realities: A Feasibility Study"
  • Mr Lucas COSTA DOS ANJOS, General Coordinator for Research and Technology at the National Data Protection Agency (Brazil)
  • Mr David REICHEL, Head of Data and Digital Sector, Justice, Digital and Migration Unit, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
18:30 Closing Session

Host: Mr Mario HERNANDEZ RAMOS, Former Chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI)

Ms Mihaela Martinov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the Council of Europe

Mr Matthias KLOTH, Head of the Digital Governance and Sport Department, Council of Europe

 

19:00 – 21:00 Reception hosted by the Organisers

Palais, Restaurant Bleu 

 Speakers

Back Mr Jean-Luc SAURON

Mr Jean-Luc SAURON

Mr Jean-Luc SAURON is a Councillor of State (Paris) and a recognised expert in the field of digital technologies and emerging technologies.

Over the course of his career, he led the French delegation at European Union level during the negotiations and adoption of Directive 95/46, the precursor to the GDPR. He subsequently directed a postgraduate programme on these issues at Université Paris Dauphine (PSL) for five years.

He has authored several books on digital technologies and data protection, and recently served as scientific editor of a collective volume published by Lamy Éditions – Liaisons Sociales, entitled “Lamy des données”, which provides comprehensive coverage of European legal instruments in this field. He is currently contributing to a forthcoming book on “Artificial Intelligence and Business”, with a particular focus on the integration of human oversight within AI-driven processes. In this context, he is examining the HUDERIA methodology, which he considers particularly relevant for safeguarding human rights while addressing economic competitiveness.

Beyond his role at the Conseil d’État, he holds positions closely aligned with the work of CDNET. He chairs the Ethical and Scientific Committee overseeing the work of VIGINUM, the French national service responsible for identifying and analysing foreign digital information manipulation. He has also been a member of the Election Protection and Coordination Network (RCPE), which monitored foreign information interference during recent municipal elections in France.

He is further a member of the National Consultative Committee on Digital Ethics (CCNEN), an independent body placed under the authority of the Prime Minister, whose work has recently commenced. The Committee is tasked with issuing opinions on public activities in the digital sphere and alerting decision-makers to ethical requirements.

Finally, he serves on the board of Renaissance Numérique, a think tank focused on digital and AI issues, and is a member of the AFCDP (French Association of Data Protection Officers), a professional body bringing together data protection practitioners from both the private and public sectors.

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 Practical details

Languages and Interpretation: English and French.

Visa Requirements: Travellers are responsible for arranging any necessary visas.

Conference Format: The event will be held in a hybrid format, with in-person attendance by invitation only. It will also be livestreamed on this webpage to allow wider access. Remote participants can view the sessions but will not be able to take the floor or interact with the speakers.

Venue: Palais de l’Europe, Room 1, Strasbourg.

Getting Around: Local transport & useful contacts

Building Access and Registration: Participants can collect their conference badges at the entrance on the first day by presenting a valid ID or passport.

Catering: Welcoming coffee and a coffee break will be served during the conference. Participants are responsible for their own lunch; an on-site cafeteria will be available.