International Research Showcase: Bernard Reber - Expanded Democracy and AI

Join the Centre for Deliberative Democracy for an International Research Showcase with Bernard Reber, Research Director at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Centre for Political Research at Sciences Po, Paris.

Presentation title:
Expanded Democracy and AI, beyond Habermas's fiction and Rawls's conjecture

In this seminar, Bernard Reber will explore deliberative democracy through the experience of French citizens' assemblies on climate and end-of-life issues, alongside the philosophical perspectives of Habermas and Rawls.

Drawing on his research and practical experience with deliberative processes, Bernard will also examine how artificial intelligence may contribute to new forms of collective and interdisciplinary deliberation.

Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM AEDT
Format: Hybrid
In person: The Fishbowl, University of Canberra
Online: Zoom

The session will include a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A.

About Bernard Reber

Bernard Reber is a Swiss and French political and moral philosopher whose research focuses on responsible deliberation, pluralism, democratic participation and the relationship between philosophy and the social, political, natural and engineering sciences.

For more than 30 years, he has studied deliberative processes as an analyst, organiser, facilitator, evaluator and adviser. His recent work explores the risks and possibilities of artificial intelligence and how philosophical insights can contribute to participatory and deliberative democratic practices.

This is a public event hosted by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy, University of Canberra.