Buddhist scholars, contemplative practitioners, and technology experts are set to convene in Austria in July for a two-week interdisciplinary initiative exploring the relationship between Buddhism and artificial intelligence.
Organized by Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Germany-Austria, Dharma Gate Buddhist College, and The Research Center of the Italian Buddhist Union, the “Buddhism and AI Collaborative Summer Initiative” will take place from 1–12 July at Gomde, a Buddhist retreat center in the Austrian Prealps. The event includes an academic summer course and an international conference focused on the ethical, philosophical, and social implications of artificial intelligence and accelerating technological change.
The event’s organizers described the initiative as an effort to examine how Buddhist traditions may contribute to contemporary debates surrounding AI, human identity, consciousness, and the future of society.
“What can Buddhist approaches to being human and maximizing human potential teach humanity as it confronts the unprecedented identity crisis of artificial intelligence?” they ask in the course description. (Buddhism and AI Collaborative Summer Institute)
According to the event materials, the initiative will combine academic inquiry with contemplative practice, bringing together experts from fields including philosophy, religious studies, neuroscience, social science, and computer science. Participants will be able to attend in person or online.
The academic summer course will run for the full 12 days and includes lectures, seminars, meditation sessions, and study of the classical Tibetan Buddhist text The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva. The organizers stated that the course would explore “Buddhism as a resource for addressing challenges posed by emergent AI technologies to the boundaries of human intelligence and capability.” (Buddhism and AI Collaborative Summer Institute)
The conference portion, scheduled for 9–12 July, will focus on public lectures, panel discussions, and structured debates examining the broader implications of AI development. Topics will include “Mind, Consciousness, and Agency: Humans and AI,” “Ethics, Risk & the Buddhist Response to AI,” and “Translators, Assistants, and Digital Gurus: AI and Buddhist Education & Practice.”
The initiative reflects growing interest among Buddhist communities and scholars in the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. In recent years, Buddhist thinkers and practitioners have increasingly engaged with questions surrounding machine consciousness, digital meditation tools, AI-assisted education, and the social consequences of automation and algorithmic decision-making.
The organizers note that Buddhist traditions have historically interacted closely with technological innovation. “Over the course of 2,500 years, Buddhist traditions have often embraced technological innovations in the service of expanding the scope of what it means to be human,” according to the course description. (Buddhism and AI Collaborative Summer Institute)
The event is being organized in collaboration with several groups engaged in the emerging field of Buddhism and AI studies, although the website emphasizes the interdisciplinary and dialogical nature of the gathering rather than promoting a single institutional perspective.
Participation options include the full summer course and conference, attendance only during the conference days, or online access to selected sessions. Accommodation options range from private rooms to dormitory housing and camping facilities at the retreat center. Gomde Austria is described as located in a quiet mountain setting approximately two-and-a-half hours from Vienna.
The conference arrives amid broader global debates about the societal impact of AI technologies, particularly following rapid developments in generative AI systems over the last several years. Concerns over automation, misinformation, employment disruption, surveillance, and the possibility of artificial general intelligence have prompted increasing discussion among ethicists, religious leaders, and policymakers.
Within Buddhist contexts, these discussions often intersect with longstanding philosophical questions concerning consciousness, suffering, interdependence, and the nature of personhood.
The initiative’s FAQ section indicates that no prior background in either Buddhism or artificial intelligence is required for participation. Organizers state that the program is intended for scholars, students, practitioners, technologists, and others interested in exploring how contemplative traditions might contribute to conversations about humanity’s technological future.
The organizers also emphasize contemplative practice as part of the event structure, with daily meditation sessions integrated alongside academic discussions.
“Through dialogue, debate, and reflection, we ask how Buddhist traditions can help guide these transformations wisely,” the conference description states. (Buddhism and AI Collaborative Summer Institute)
Registration for online participation is expected to open in June, while on-site participants may register in advance and pay upon arrival.
See more
Buddhism and AI Collaborative Summer Initiative
Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Germany-Austria
Rangjung Yeshe Gomde (Facebook)
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