Dear Colleagues Dear Colleagues, I,m writing from Portugal, where I am a member of LabCom – Communication Lab. LabCom is a research unit that brings together researchers from media and communication studies, philosophy, sociology, and computer science, with a shared interest in digital and online phenomena. Let me present our new event: LabCom — Communication Laboratory of the University of Beira Interior (UBI) is organising, on 10–11 December 2026, the II EPEA — International Seminar “The Public Sphere in the Age of Algorithms”, under the theme Artificial Intelligence and Political Communication. The event will take place entirely online, via videoconference. From populism to disinformation, from deepfakes to polarisation, from surveillance to platform governance, the II EPEA sets out to examine the impact of AI on the public sphere. Thematic areas We particularly welcome proposals combining empirical research, theoretical reflection and critical analysis on: • AI, Populism and Authoritarian Leadership • Algorithmic Literacy and Digital Citizenship • AI and New Networked Social Movements • AI, the Public Sphere and the Crisis of Deliberation • Surveillance, Control and Predictive Policing • AI, Political Polarisation and Online Radicalisation • AI Regulation and Platform Governance • AI, Political Microtargeting and Electoral Communication • AI and New Forms of Agenda-Setting and Gatekeeping • Conspiracy Theories and Algorithmic Recommendation • Hate Speech, Symbolic Violence and Digital Harassment • Deepfakes, Disinformation and Data Authenticity • Algorithmic Transparency, Auditing and Accountability • AI Ethics, Algorithmic Discrimination and Human Rights How to take part • Abstracts of up to 350 words (excluding title, keywords and references), in Portuguese, English or Spanish. • Each author may submit up to two proposals. Deadline: 30 September 2026. • Submission: https://forms.gle/74uycCbZf412greo8 • Notification of acceptance: 15 October. Registration and payment: by 31 October. • Accepted papers will be published in a book edited by LabCom UBI. • Registration: €30 (free for LabCom UBI members). The event will be streamed live on the LabCom UBI YouTube channel. Committees, timeline and full information: https://labcom.ubi.pt/epea/ Contact: João Carlos Correia (jcorreia@ubi.pt) · Branco Di Fátima (brancodifatima@labcom.ubi.pt) Please feel free to circulate this call among colleagues and relevant academic networks. João Carlos Correia Department of Communication, Philosophy and Politics Faculty of Arts and Letters University of Beira Interior