Digital Ethics Symposium Program Schedule

 

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Monday, September 28, 2026

8:30: Coffee and Check-In

9:00: Opening Remarks: Celebrating our 15th Annual International Symposium on Digital Ethics: MAGIS

• Douglas Woods, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Loyola University Chicago
• Claire Noonan, Vice President of Mission Integration, Loyola University Chicago
• Virginia McDermott, Dean, School of Communication, Loyola University Chicago
• Florence M. Chee, Associate Professor of Digital Communication; Director, Center for Digital Ethics & Policy, Loyola University Chicago

9:30-10:20: Panel Session: Magnifica Humanitas and Human Flourishing: a compass going forward? Led by Noah Banasciewicz, SJ, Instructor, School of Communication, Loyola University Chicago

Break

10:30-11:30: Keynote Speaker: Olivier Sylvain, Professor of Law, Fordham Law School, Visiting Professor of Law, Sciences Po Law School (Fall 2026)
"Reclaiming the Internet: How Big Tech Took Control—and How We Can Take It Back"

Break - Grab Lunch!

12:00-1:00: Lunchtime Debate on Data Centers: The Debate Team, with David Romanelli, LUC

Break

2:00-3:00: Panel Session: AI and the Future of Gaming: Ethical Challenges and Industry Transformations; Jana Hecktor, Theresa Krampe, and Martin Hennig: International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW), University of Tübingen, Germany

Break

3:30-5:00: Featured Speaker and Performance and "Law by Music" Performance, sponsored by the Center for Business Law and Institute for Investor Protection: Professor Yaniv Benhamou, Author of Creative Value Chains: Copyright and Beyond for a Better Value Distribution, Professor and Director of the Digital Law Center, University of Geneva, Switzerland

Close of Day 1

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Tuesday, September 29, 2026

8:30: Coffee and Check-In

9:00-10:00: Featured Speaker Session: Adoption with Discernment

George K. Thiruvathukal, Loyola University Chicago “From Disruption to Agency: AI, Computing Cultures, and the Future of Digital Ethics”

Alexi Orchard, University of Notre Dame, “Look Before Crossing: Establishing a Proverbial Yield Sign for AI Adoption”

Break

10:15-11:15: Featured Speaker Session: Handling AI with Care: Meaning and Authority

Meera Nair, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, “Books Without Authors? Authorship, Meaning, and Authority Reconsidered in the Age of AI”

Cindy Tekkobe, University of Illinois Chicago “The synthetic and the sacred: can we really decolonize AI?”

Break - Grab Lunch!

11:45-12:45: Lunchtime Discussion: Patrick Green, Executive Director, Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS), Loyola University Chicago "The Future is Now for Digital Ethics & Policy - Co-Creating Knowledge with our Communities Through Engaged Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship"

1:00-2:00 Options: SOC Tours, breakout/workshop, Social Media Interviews, Q&A

Break

2:00-3:30: Film Screening of "American Thief" and Director's Commentary Session: Miguel Silveira, School of Communication, Loyola University Chicago https://filmmovement.com/american-thief

Break

4pm Featured Panel and Performance: Hip-Hop, AI, and Digital Ethics

Moderated by Lavar Pope, Arrupe College, LUC

Panelists: Amina Norman-Hawkins, Columbia College Chicago, Danny Cochran, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor of English, Arrupe College, Loyola University Chicago. Visda Goudarzi, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Music Technology, Columbia College Chicago, Robert DiFazio, Music Business Coordinator, University of Illinois, Chicago, and Chicago’s own 6IXTEENTH

Closing Remarks, Awards and Recognition

6PM - Close of Symposium - Enjoy Chicago!

With thanks to our Sponsors, Supporters, and Collaborators: https://www.luc.edu/digitalethics/about/sponsors/

Inquiries: Prof. Florence M. Chee, CDEP Director: fchee@luc.edu