International Conference on Impact of Innovative, Disruptive and Emerging Technologies on Audiences and Society (IDEAS2026) 3-4 August 2026, Manchester, UK
New and disruptive technologies are rapidly transforming how people live, work, and connect, how organisations operate and perform, and how communities, societies and their interactions are managed and governed. For individuals, such technologies offer unprecedented access to information, new forms of communications, greater convenience in everyday life and new career opportunities, just to name some, but also raise concerns such as privacy, digital fatigue and job displacement. Organisations benefit from increased efficiency and opportunities for innovation but face pressure to adapt rapidly, retrain and reskill employees, and address more complicated ethical responsibilities. At a societal level, these technologies stimulate economic growth and enable inclusion, yet inappropriate deployments also risk deepening inequalities and widening social divides if access remains unequal. From a governance perspective, rapid technological changes challenge existing legal and regulatory frameworks. Policymakers need to balance innovation with public safety, privacy rights, and ethical standards. Issues such as surveillance, misinformation, and AI bias demand transparent, inclusive governance. Furthermore, the integration of technology shapes cultural norms, public discourse, and power dynamics. Ultimately, managing the impact of these innovative, disruptive and emerging technologies requires collaboration across sectors to ensure equitable and sustainable progress.
The conference provides a platform and interactive forum for social science researchers, technologists, innovators, strategists and policymakers to explore how to maximise benefits while minimising harm and risks in the adoption and deployment of the technologies. To achieve this optimal goal, proactive measures are essential. These include but not restricted to investing in digital literacy and education to prepare individuals for evolving job markets, establishing ethical AI and data standards, and enforcing strong privacy regulations. Encouraging innovation with responsibility, fostering equitable access, and engaging diverse voices in technology development can ensure these tools serve humanity fairly and sustainably.
The conference is organised by AT Publishing in association with its journals Recent Advances in Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) [ISSN: 2978-1345] and Research in Education Curriculum and Pedagogy: Global Perspectives (RECAP) [ISSN: 2977-1633]. There is a “conference first” policy in place. Selected papers will be invited to further develop into full journal articles for a special issue of HASS or RECAP, the two associated AT-Journals free of Article Processing Charges.
Conference proceedings, including all accepted contributions, will be published open access with an ISBN bearing a DOI and made available and searchable for the general public.
Chairs and Committee
General Chairs:
Publication Chair:
Karen Wang, Senior Editor, AT Publishing
Conference Secretariat
All Terrain Publishing Team
Conference Technical/Scholarly Committee (rolling addition):
Call for Papers
The conference invites submissions of
- Abstract (200-500 words)
- Extended abstract (500-1200 words, structure mirroring a full paper, references allowed)
- Full conference paper (up to 2500 words)
- Panel discussion proposal (max. 750 words)
- Workshop proposal (max. 1000 words)
Scope and Topics
The conference welcomes contributions centred around its theme(s) from humanities, arts, and social sciences perspectives. Particular encouragement is given to interdisciplinary and frontier research. Scientists, engineers and technologists are invited to contribute their view of social impact of the technologies they develop. Pure research and development of new and disruptive technologies do not fit the remit of the conference. Submissions addressing (1) the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies on people, organisations and society, (2) opportunities, challenges and risks & unintended consequences in technology development and adoption and (3) strategies and guidelines for optimal adoption and deployment of technologies, are aligned with the conference’s core themes.
To acknowledge and respect the breadth of the nature of this conference and avoid restricting its scope, there are no preset strands at the call for paper stage. The conference technical committee reserves the right and will decide the strand titles based on the accepted submissions at a later stage before announcing the conference programme.
The topics from different perspectives listed below serve as hints to provide inspiration rather than restrictions. Any topic of academic, practical, vocational and societal interests and within the remit of the conference is welcome.
By type of technologies
- AI, robotics & autonomous systems
- Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), human augmentation & extended reality
- Biotech & health Innovation
- Quantum & next-gen computing
- Energy & environmental tech
- Next-gen connectivity & web infrastructure
- Advanced materials, space & manufacturing
By levels of impact and measures
- People responses and experience
- Education and reskilling
- Organisation adoption, deployment and responsibilities
- Broad sense social impact
- Privacy, safety, security and ethics
- Legislation regulation and governance
By types of impact (positive/negative)
Promotive or preventive management measures for:
- Efficiency and productive force
- Wellbeing, resilience and social good
- Quality of life
- Sustainability
- Cybersecurity threats & data breaches
- Economic and social disruption
- Ethical dilemmas and bias
- Regulatory lag
Key Dates
Submission deadline:
Acceptance notification*:
Main conference dates:
31 May 2026
15 June 2026
3-4 August 2026
*Papers will be accepted on a rolling basis. For those who need to apply for visas we recommend early submission.
Submission
Submission formats
- Abstract (200-500 words): an abstract should outline the key contents of the presentation.
- Extended Abstract (500-1200 words): allowing for more details including references if the authors think necessary.
- Full paper (1800-2500 words): the full paper should be unpublished original work with 200-word abstract and full reference list.
- Panel discussion proposal (max. 750 words): the proposal should contain the title of the discussion and the name of the convenor. It should include information for the organiser to assess the appropriateness and relevance to the conference and the list of panel members.
- Workshop proposal: the proposal should contain the title of the workshop and the name of the convenor, who acts as the chair and is responsible for organising the papers. Each workshop must have at least three papers submitted.
Please select the appropriate template for your submission
Submission deadline: 31 May 2026
Acceptance notification: 15 June 2026
Each submission format has its own designated template. Please ensure you use the correct template and upload your file accordingly. You must register on the submission site before submitting. Further details and specific instructions can be found in the Author Guidelines.
If you experience any problems, please email us.
Registration
The registration form will be available soon online. Please download, complete and return the form by email to complete registration.
Registration Fees
Author (student)
Author (regular)
Listener
Extra paper
£240
£300
£120
£100
Refund & Cancellation Policy
After payment, any cancellation of registration must be communicated by email.
A full refund, minus an administrative charge of £60, will be provided if written notification of cancellation is received at least two months prior to the conference start date, or if the cancellation is due to failure to secure a visa.
A 50% refund will be issued if written notification of cancellation is provided at least one month prior to the start date of the conference.
Refunds are not available for notifications made less than one month prior to the start of the conference.
Please note that all programmes may be modified, and refunds are not available for any such changes.
Disclaimer
In the unlikely event that All Terrain Publishing deems it necessary to cancel the conference, all pre-paid registration fees will be reimbursed. AT Publishing shall not be liable for reimbursing the cost of travel or accommodation arrangements made by individual delegates.