On 11 March 2026, SmartCHANGE was in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for the EUTOPIA_HEALTH Science Café. This public discussion brought together experts, students, and citizens to explore how digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence are reshaping the landscape of modern healthcare and mental well-being.
About the event
The Science Café, an initiative of the EUTOPIA_HEALTH project, served as an open forum for dialogue between the scientific community and the public. This session addressed the "Digital Era", focusing on the dual nature of health technology: its power to empower individuals versus the potential burdens of constant monitoring.
The panel addressed critical questions about the reliability of consumer health devices, the ethical use of health data, and whether digitalisation bridges or widens health inequalities. A significant portion of the conversation focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence in research and its direct impact on user well-being.
SmartCHANGE at the event
At the event, Prof. Dr Gregor Jurak from the University of Ljubljana (ULJ) presented the activities of both the SLOfit research group and the SmartCHANGE project, focusing on the intersection of digital tools and health.
During the session, Prof. Dr Jurak highlighted how SmartCHANGE is moving from theory to practice by utilising AI-driven tools to tackle non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention in children and adolescents. He emphasised the technical synergy between the functionalities of the Moj SLOfit web application and the development of new SmartCHANGE solutions, while also addressing key ethical considerations. This included a focus on data anonymisation, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA), and the responsible implementation of AI within the health space to ensure public trust and data security.
By engaging in this public dialogue, SmartCHANGE continues to ensure that our technical progress is aligned with societal needs, ethical rigour, and public trust.