AI, Brains, and Digital Futures — Sano at Copernicus Festival 2025
From May 20–25, 2025, the Copernicus Festival once again turned Kraków into a meeting ground for thinkers, scientists, artists, and the curious. This unique event continues to bridge the gap between science, humanities, and technology. And once again, Sano Centre for Computational Medicine was there to contribute to the conversation.
AI on Call: Paulina Tworek on the Future of Doctors
As part of the INVENTIO track — focused on emerging technologies — Paulina Tworek gave a lecture titled “AI on Call: Are Doctors Becoming Obsolete?” Drawing from her work on the CACTUS project, Paulina explored how artificial intelligence is transforming clinical practice and redefining the role of medical professionals. She also shared a few of the most surreal and hilarious hallucinations generated by AI models — examples that, while inaccurate, proved to be imaginative, entertaining, and surprisingly thought-provoking. That moment truly captured the audience’s attention and made the abstract risks of AI feel vividly real.
Can Machines Think? Janek Argasiński in Dialogue with Leading Minds
Later in the program, Jan Argasiński hosted a dynamic and open-ended discussion between two distinguished guests: Prof. Włodzisław Duch and Prof. Piotr Durka. The debate, titled “Artificial Intelligence: Is There Anybody In There?”, went far beyond the typical AI conversation — diving into the nature of consciousness, the boundaries of cognition, and the philosophical challenges of interpreting intelligent behavior, human or machine.
How to Prevent Digital Dementia?
One of the most memorable moments came during the Q&A, when Janek was asked how to prevent “digital dementia.” His answer was as concise as it was sharp:
“One way is to come to Copernicus Festival and talk to smart people.”
That line stayed with us — because it reflects what this festival is really about.
More Than Just a Conference
For us at Sano, taking part in Copernicus Festival is about more than sharing research. It’s about helping shape the public conversation around technology and humanity — and doing so in a way that’s open, curious, and accessible.
See you next year?
Want more? Paulina’s lecture and Janek’s discussion are now available online —watch here.
Sano’s presence at Copernicus Festival 2025 extended beyond the main program. As part of the accompanying events, Jan Argasiński represented Sano in several public media appearances and science communication activities centered around artificial intelligence.
He took part in a radio conversation with Diana Sałacka for Radio Kraków and Meloradio, discussing the idea of mystery as a driving force behind human curiosity and discovery.
Listen to the full episode → Radio Kraków – Copernicus Festival 2025
Jan also published an article about one of the festival’s key guests — Terrence Sejnowski, titled “Terrence Sejnowski: The Man Who Invented Artificial Intelligence.” The piece reflects on Sejnowski’s pivotal role in the development of modern neural networks and AI research.
In addition, Jan appeared in a special feature episode called “Secrets of Artificial Intelligence,” produced by the Copernicus Festival team. The episode is available on the festival’s YouTube channel and was also aired in a program on TVP2.
These additional contributions helped broaden Sano’s impact at the festival — not just in science, but also in public outreach and media engagement.
