Events

We organize Unchain Your Mind Debates to transfer knowledge and explore topics from multiple perspectives, helping us uncover what we know and do not know to derive which knowledge gaps to address. We focus on technology-related topics, as technology impacts all aspects of life, from private to professional. By unpacking such topics with diverse experts, we aim to help society understand the risks and benefits of technology. Our events are non-profit, dedicated to knowledge sharing for the public good.

Next Event

Stay tuned, more information will be announced shortly!

Past Events

Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Intelligence

Our increasing reliance on AI systems raises important questions about how we reflect and make decisions. As AI continues to develop and take on more tasks that were once considered uniquely human, we should explore how this shift impacts our cognitive capacities. How does AI influence the way we learn? And how will humans and AI engage in the future?

Dalith Steiger
Co-Founder at SwissCognitive

Prof. Dr. Engin Bumbacher
Hasler Professor in Education Technology, HEP Vaud

Hannes Thurnherr
AI Researcher

Dr. Remo Reginold
Partner at PWB Schweiz

We Know the Risks, But Don’t Act Enough!

Individuals, organizations, and society rely on digital technologies in nearly every aspect of life, from daily activities and business operations to public services. However, this reliance comes with cyber risks. How vulnerable are we in this digital and interconnected world? How can individuals, organizations, and society protect themselves against cyberattacks? Four distinct speakers debated these questions during an interactive debate.

Nicolas Mayencourt
CEO Dreamlab Technologies

Bruno Bedin
CISO at Bühler AG

Dr. Florian Egloff
Head of Cyber VBS

Cornelia Diethelm
Lecturer in Digital Ethics at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ)

How Bots and Algorithms Challenge Democracy

Disinformation has always been present, but its impact was often contained. With the rise of social media, discussions increasingly take place online. A lie told at the pub might mislead friends, but information spreads quickly online. How does disinformation affect society? What risks does it pose to political systems? What role does journalism play in an era of fake news and deepfakes? Unchain Your Mind explored these questions during an interactive debate.

Ronnie Grob
Editor-in-Chief at Schweizer Monat

Dr. Adrian Hänni
Historian & Lecturer for Political History at Fern-Uni Schweiz

Prof. Dr. Fred Mast​
Head of the Department of Cognitive Psychology, Perception & Research Methods at University of Bern

The Metaverse is the Promised Paradise

Parallel worlds have fascinated humanity for centuries, along with the dream of a new, better world. The Metaverse promises us this paradise. But where is this digital journey leading? Do paradises in the Metaverse require rules? What opportunities do new technologies offer, and what are the potential downsides of their use? These were the topics discussed at the 2022 Unchain Your Mind Debate.

Tom Rieder
Co-Founder of dloop & elementum.art

Prof. Dr. Katja Rost
Professor in Sociology at University of Zurich

Prof. Dr. Stefan Seidel
Professor & Chair of Information Systems at University of Cologne

Cédric Schlosser
CEO at MYI Entertainment

Algorithms Beat Human Intuition

How is online dating changing our criteria for partner selection? Do online dating apps help us meet people outside our usual circles? Does the algorithm reinforce existing patterns, or does it help to break them? Unchain Your Mind debated this topic with distinct speakers from different fields.

Dr. Dorothea Baur
Founder and owner of Baur Consulting AG

Prof. Dr. Janek Lobmaier
Lecturer at Institute of Psychologiy at University of Bern

Nicolas Schotten
CEO & Founder of Lovetastic

Dr. Gina Potarca
Post-Doc Researcher in Sociology at University of Geneva

Has the Crisis Made Us Immune?

What have we learned from the current crisis? Could this crisis have made us immune to future ones? These were the questions we explored during the 2020 Unchain Your Mind debate. Esteemed speakers from technology, business, healthcare, and politics discussed how COVID-19 and the resulting crisis may have enhanced our resilience.

Monika Rühl
Chairwoman at economiesuisse

Dr. med. Stephan Rietiker
Digital Health Expert & Physician

Dr. Remo Reginold
Political Consultant & Founder of SIGA

Priska Burkard
CEO & Co-Founder of TechFace

Does Blockchain Lead to Absolute Control?

Is Blockchain a path to absolute control of our data? Unchain Your Mind explored this question through a participatory debate on 9th September 2019. Distinguished speakers from politics, law, academia, and business examined Blockchain in its societal and political context, providing a comprehensive 360° perspective.

Prof. Dr. Aleksander Berentsen
Professor of Economics at University of Basel

Prof. Dr. iur. Cornelia Stengel
Partner at Kellerhals Carrard

Alexander Brunner
Principal at Brunner Digital

Carla Bünger
Co-Founder & Board Member Phoenix Technologies AG

Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Intelligence: Morgen wissen wir nichts mehr!

Our increasing reliance on AI systems raises important questions about how we reflect and make decisions. As AI continues to develop and take on more tasks that were once considered uniquely human, we should explore how this shift impacts our cognitive capacities. How does AI influence the way we learn? And how will humans and AI engage in the future? 

Dalith Steiger
Co-Founder SwissCognitive

Prof. Dr. Engin Bumbacher
Hasler Professor in Education Technology, HEP Vaud

Hannes Thurnherr
AI Researcher

Dr. Remo Reginold
Partner at PWB Schweiz

Digital Vulnerability in Cyberspace: We Know the Risks, But Don’t Act Enough!

Individuals, organizations, and society rely on digital technologies in nearly every aspect of life, from daily activities and business operations to public services. However, this reliance comes with cyber risks. How vulnerable are we in this digital and interconnected world? How can individuals, organizations, and society protect themselves against cyberattacks? Four distinct speakers debated these questions during an interactive debate.

Nicolas Mayencourt
CEO Dreamlab Technologies

Bruno Bedin
CISO at Bühler AG

Dr. Florian Egloff
Head of Cyber VBS

Cornelia Diethelm
Lecturer in Digital Ethics at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ)

Digital Disinformation – How Bots and Algorithms Challenge Democracy

Disinformation has always been present, but its impact was often contained. With the rise of social media, discussions increasingly take place online. A lie told at the pub might mislead friends, but information spreads quickly online. How does disinformation affect society? What risks does it pose to political systems? What role does journalism play in an era of fake news and deepfakes? Unchain Your Mind explored these questions during an interactive debate.

Ronnie Grob
Editor-in-Chief at Schweizer Monat

Dr. Adrian Hänni
Historian & Lecturer for Political History at Fern-Uni Schweiz

Prof. Dr. Fred Mast​
Head of the Department of Cognitive Psychology, Perception & Research Methods at University of Bern

The Metaverse is the Promised Paradise

Parallel worlds have fascinated humanity for centuries, along with the dream of a new, better world. The Metaverse promises us this paradise. But where is this digital journey leading? Do paradises in the Metaverse require rules? What opportunities do new technologies offer, and what are the potential downsides of their use? These were the topics discussed at the 2022 Unchain Your Mind Debate.

Tom Rieder
Co-Founder of dloop & elementum.art

Prof. Dr. Katja Rost
Professor in Sociology at University of Zurich

Prof. Dr. Stefan Seidel
Professor & Chair of Information Systems at University of Cologne

Cédric Schlosser
CEO at MYI Entertainment

Online Dating – Algorithms Beat Human Intuition

How is online dating changing our criteria for partner selection? Do online dating apps help us meet people outside our usual circles? Does the algorithm reinforce existing patterns, or does it help to break them? Unchain Your Mind debated this topic with distinct speakers from different fields.

Dr. Dorothea Baur
Founder and owner of Baur Consulting AG

Prof. Dr. Janek Lobmaier
Lecturer at Institute of Psychologiy at University of Bern

Nicolas Schotten
CEO & Founder of Lovetastic

Dr. Gina Potarca
Post-Doc Researcher in Sociology at University of Geneva

Has the Crisis Made Us Immune?

What have we learned from the current crisis? Could this crisis have made us immune to future ones? These were the questions we explored during the 2020 Unchain Your Mind debate. Esteemed speakers from technology, business, healthcare, and politics discussed how COVID-19 and the resulting crisis may have enhanced our resilience.

Monika Rühl
Chairwoman at economiesuisse

Dr. med. Stephan Rietiker
Digital Health Expert & Physician

Dr. Remo Reginold
Political Consultant & Founder of SIGA

Priska Burkard
CEO & Co-Founder of TechFace

Does Blockchain Lead to Absolute Control?

Is Blockchain a path to absolute control of our data? Unchain Your Mind explored this question through a participatory debate on 9th September 2019. Distinguished speakers from politics, law, academia, and business examined Blockchain in its societal and political context, providing a comprehensive 360° perspective.

Prof. Dr. Aleksander Berentsen
Professor of Economics at University of Basel

Prof. Dr. iur. Cornelia Stengel
Partner at Kellerhals Carrard

Alexander Brunner
Principal at Brunner Digital

Carla Bünger
Co-Founder & Board Member Phoenix Technologies AG

Nov 2023

Digital Vulnerability in Cyberspace: We Know the Risks, But Don’t Act Enough!

Individuals, organizations, and society rely on digital technologies in nearly every aspect of life, from daily activities and business operations to public services. However, this reliance comes with cyber risks. How vulnerable are we in this digital and interconnected world? How can individuals, organizations, and society protect themselves against cyberattacks? Four distinct speakers debated these questions during an interactive debate.

Nicolas Mayencourt
CEO Dreamlab Technologies

Bruno Bedin
CISO at Bühler AG

Dr. Florian Egloff
Head of Cyber VBS

Cornelia Diethelm
Lecturer in Digital Ethics at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ)

Feb 2023

Digital Disinformation – How Bots and Algorithms Challenge Democracy

Disinformation has always been present, but its impact was often contained. With the rise of social media, discussions increasingly take place online. A lie told at the pub might mislead friends, but information spreads quickly online. How does disinformation affect society? What risks does it pose to political systems? What role does journalism play in an era of fake news and deepfakes? Unchain Your Mind explored these questions during an interactive debate.

Ronnie Grob
Editor-in-Chief at Schweizer Monat

Dr. Adrian Hänni
Historian & Lecturer for Political History at Fern-Uni Schweiz

Prof. Dr. Fred Mast​
Head of the Department of Cognitive Psychology, Perception & Research Methods at University of Bern

Sep 2022

The Metaverse is the Promised Paradise

Parallel worlds have fascinated humanity for centuries, along with the dream of a new, better world. The Metaverse promises us this paradise. But where is this digital journey leading? Do paradises in the Metaverse require rules? What opportunities do new technologies offer, and what are the potential downsides of their use? These were the topics discussed at the 2022 Unchain Your Mind Debate.

Tom Rieder
Co-Founder of dloop & elementum.art

Prof. Dr. Katja Rost
Professor in Sociology at University of Zurich

Prof. Dr. Stefan Seidel
Professor & Chair of Information Systems at University of Cologne

Cédric Schlosser
CEO at MYI Entertainment

Sep 2021

Online Dating – Algorithms Beat Human Intuition

How is online dating changing our criteria for partner selection? Do online dating apps help us meet people outside our usual circles? Does the algorithm reinforce existing patterns, or does it help to break them? Unchain Your Mind debated this topic with distinct speakers from different fields.

Dr. Dorothea Baur
Founder and owner of Baur Consulting AG

Prof. Dr. Janek Lobmaier
Lecturer at Institute of Psychologiy at University of Bern

Nicolas Schotten
CEO & Founder of Lovetastic

Dr. Gina Potarca
Post-Doc Researcher in Sociology at University of Geneva

Sep 2020

Has the Crisis Made Us Immune?

What have we learned from the current crisis? Could this crisis have made us immune to future ones? These were the questions we explored during the 2020 Unchain Your Mind debate. Esteemed speakers from technology, business, healthcare, and politics discussed how COVID-19 and the resulting crisis may have enhanced our resilience.

Monika Rühl
Chairwoman at economiesuisse

Dr. med. Stephan Rietiker
Digital Health Expert & Physician

Dr. Remo Reginold
Political Consultant & Founder of SIGA

Priska Burkard
CEO & Co-Founder of TechFace

Sep 2019

Does Blockchain Lead to Absolute Control?

Is Blockchain a path to absolute control of our data? Unchain Your Mind explored this question through a participatory debate on 9th September 2019. Distinguished speakers from politics, law, academia, and business examined Blockchain in its societal and political context, providing a comprehensive 360° perspective.

Prof. Dr. Aleksander Berentsen
Professor of Economics at University of Basel

Prof. Dr. iur. Cornelia Stengel
Partner at Kellerhals Carrard

Alexander Brunner
Principal at Brunner Digital

Carla Bünger
Co-Founder & Board Member Phoenix Technologies AG