Religious, philosophical and child-rights groups will meet in Brussels to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping well-being, isolation and digital risk.
The European Parliament will host an Article 17 TFEU dialogue seminar on 9 June 2026 on health and well-being in the age of artificial intelligence, bringing together faith communities, secular organisations, child-rights advocates and EU officials to discuss loneliness, youth vulnerability, digital fairness and fundamental rights.
The meeting, scheduled for 15:00 to 18:30 in the Parliament’s Spinelli building in Brussels, is being hosted by Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament and the member responsible for Parliament’s Article 17 dialogue. According to the programme, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Commissioner Magnus Brunner and representatives of the Cyprus presidency team and the European Commission are expected to take part in the opening session.
The seminar’s title, “Health and well-being in the age of artificial intelligence: communities tackling isolation and digital risks”, places the discussion at the intersection of two fast-moving European debates: the regulation of AI and the social consequences of increasingly digital lives.
A treaty dialogue meets the AI age
Article 17 TFEU requires EU institutions to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with churches, religious associations, philosophical organisations and non-confessional groups. The format has often been used to discuss questions where public policy touches conscience, social cohesion and fundamental rights.
This time, the focus is artificial intelligence. A public invitation from COMECE says the event will examine AI’s impact on health and well-being, particularly loneliness, social isolation and digital risks.
The programme divides the discussion into three panels. The first looks at “digital fairness by design”, with speakers from Catholic, humanist, Muslim, Buddhist and Orthodox-linked organisations. The second focuses on young people growing up in digital environments, with Eurochild, YMCA Europe, UNICEF and Don Bosco International among the listed participants. The final panel turns to AI, health and fundamental rights, with Jewish, secular, Protestant and other representatives contributing.
Benefits, risks and the question of care
The European Parliament’s own research service has warned that AI can bring clear benefits in healthcare, including better diagnostics, risk prediction and more personalised treatment. But its briefing on health and well-being in the age of artificial intelligence also points to risks: misinformation, over-reliance on AI chatbots, emotional dependency, privacy violations and the possibility that companion technologies could deepen isolation rather than relieve it.
Those concerns are especially acute for children, older people and vulnerable users. For young people, the issue is not only screen time or exposure to harmful content, but the broader question of how digital systems shape attention, trust, identity and emotional development. For older adults, AI tools may support remote care and independent living, yet they can also become a substitute for human contact if deployed without proper safeguards.
The Parliament seminar therefore arrives at a moment when Europe is trying to translate broad principles into practical oversight. The EU AI Act, which entered into force in 2024, established a risk-based framework intended to protect health, safety and fundamental rights while allowing innovation. The Article 17 discussion adds a different layer: whether regulation alone can answer the social and ethical questions raised by AI systems embedded in care, education, family life and public services.
Why communities matter
The inclusion of religious and philosophical organisations reflects a wider recognition that digital policy is not only technical. Community institutions often work directly with people facing loneliness, bereavement, poverty, disability, migration stress or mental-health challenges. They may also see early signs of harm when online environments aggravate isolation or when people turn to automated systems for advice that should involve human judgement.
At the same time, the dialogue format carries its own democratic test. A credible Article 17 process must include both confessional and non-confessional voices, avoid privileging any single worldview, and keep the focus on rights, dignity and evidence. In a plural Europe, questions about AI and well-being cannot be answered only by engineers, companies or regulators. They also require participation from those working with affected communities.
The Brussels seminar is unlikely to settle Europe’s AI health debate. But it may help clarify one principle that runs through the Parliament’s research and the EU’s regulatory approach: technology should support care, not replace it. As AI systems become more present in daily life, Europe’s challenge will be to ensure that efficiency does not come at the cost of human connection.
