[ETCE-2026] Integrating ethical technologies and community engagement in multimedia technologies development Call for Papers

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22nd International Conference on Content-based Multimedia Indexing, CBMI 2026
 Toulouse, France, October 21-23, 2026

https://cbmi2026.sciencesconf.org/

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[CBMI2026] Special Session - 
[ETCE-2026] Integrating ethical technologies and community engagement in multimedia technologies development

Multimedia technologies are transforming not only how information and
experiences are created and consumed, but also how communities
interact with digital and physical spaces, participate in
decision-making processes, and shape their social and environmental
environments. Advances in multimedia analysis, artificial
intelligence, and interactive systems are increasingly embedded in
processes such as public space planning, mobility design, and civic
participation, enabling the collection, analysis, and visualization of
multimodal data (e.g., audio, visual, spatial, and interaction data)
that shape how citizens communicate, participate, and make decisions
in public and social contexts.

However, these developments raise critical challenges related to
ethics, transparency, accessibility, inclusion, and trust,
particularly when AI-driven multimedia systems are deployed in
socially sensitive and participatory contexts.

This special session addresses these challenges by focusing on
human-centered approaches at the intersection of ethical AI and
participatory design of public spaces and mobility. It brings together
research that integrates multimedia systems, AI-driven tools, and
co-creation methodologies to support inclusive community engagement
while ensuring responsible, transparent, and trustworthy technological
development. The session is organized by two Horizon Europe projects,
SPICE and ALFIE, which emphasize ethics-by-design, participatory
frameworks, and robust data governance practices in the development of
digital tools for societal use.

A central motivation of the session is the recognition that multimedia
technologies are no longer neutral intermediaries, but active agents
shaping social interaction, access to information, and collective
decision-making. As such, their design and deployment require explicit
consideration of ethical, legal, and societal requirements, including
data protection, explainability, accessibility, and accountability. In
parallel, participatory and co-creative approaches highlight the need
for multimedia and AI systems that can meaningfully incorporate
citizen input, diverse perspectives, and local knowledge, particularly
in the context of public space transformation, mobility, and
sustainability.

The session therefore aims to foster contributions that explore how
multimedia analysis, AI, and interactive systems can support:

    inclusive and citizen-driven multimedia platforms,
    ethical, transparent, and trustworthy AI for multimedia applications,
    multimodal data analysis for social engagement and community empowerment,
    explainable and responsible AI in multimedia contexts,
    applied and experimental case studies at the intersection of AI, multimedia, and society,
    participatory co-creation of public and social spaces,
    ethical, trustworthy, and legally compliant AI models tailored to human and societal needs,
    multimedia- and AI-supported approaches for Nature-Based Solutions (NBS),
    accessible multimedia systems and AI tools addressing diverse user abilities and contexts.

Overall, this special session focuses on how multimedia analysis,
indexing, and AI technologies can be applied in ethical and
participatory real-world contexts. It brings together research on
multimedia systems, AI-driven tools, and interactive platforms with
approaches that ensure transparency, accessibility, data protection,
and citizen involvement. It provides a dedicated forum for
transdisciplinary contributions that combine methodological innovation
with real-world experimentation, contributing to the development of
multimedia systems that are not only technically advanced, but also
aligned with societal values and community needs.

Important dates :

Paper deadline: 20 APRIL  2026 

Notification: 22 MAY  2026

Camera-ready: 15 JUNE 2026

Paper submission  : Author Guidelines

Please indicate in the comments that this paper is for SS  ETCE-2026

SS chairs

    Stefanos Vrochidis, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)
    Sotiris Diplaris,  Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)
    Nefeli Georgakopoulou,  Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)
    Pilar Orero,  Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
    Konstantinos Avgerinakis, Catalink