Plenary 3

Solidarity in a digitalised era

Will AI upend the financial base of our health and welfare systems?

Organised by the European Health Forum Gastein

This plenary will explore how digitalisation, particularly AI, will impact solidarity and the social contract. While digital tools offer major benefits - accelerating science, improving healthcare, and addressing labour shortages through automation - they also pose serious challenges. Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, suggested AI could force a complete reconfiguration of society. Traditional solidarity systems, funded by labour-related taxes, may be weakened as labour markets are disrupted. Globalisation and automation may create tax gaps, raising questions about future revenue sources for social protection. Ethical concerns include misinformation, elitism, and digital inequality. The tech industry's growing role in public health and the rise of "cyber-feudalism" also highlight the need for new regulatory frameworks. This plenary will discuss the impact on health and welfare systems of this major societal transformation.