The Laboratory of Language, Folklore, and Literature and the Laboratory of Mathematics, Didactics & Multimedia of the Department of Primary Education at the University of the Aegean, in collaboration with the Music School of Rhodes, announce the organization of a Panhellenic Conference with International Participation, titled:
Digital Folklore 2.0
Folk Culture in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
The 1st Conference on Digital Folklore, themed “Folk Culture and the Digital World: Towards a Digital Folklore,” was held online from November 5–7, 2021, amidst the unique circumstances of the pandemic. It was followed by the publication of a digital collective volume featuring a selection of the presented papers and other relevant studies.
That conference highlighted that technological evolution does not alienate humans from their cultural origins; rather, it constitutes an organic element of folk culture’s dynamic trajectory. Tradition does not remain static; it adapts, evolves, and incorporates every new form of technology, fulfilling perennial human needs for communication, expression, and creation. Folk culture does not oppose technology but transforms and integrates it into its own expressive schemas.
Folklore studies/Folkloristics, following this dynamic path of tradition, have expanded their research field, recognizing the Internet and digital technologies as new domains of culture. The digital space is no longer conceived merely as a tool or a medium of communication, but as a new environment for the production and reproduction of cultural forms. Within online communities, social media platforms, and new forms of discourse and imagery, contemporary expressions of folk culture are emerging: from internet memes and witticisms to digital urban legends and the collective narratives of our time.
The discipline of folk culture, while remaining faithful to the study of the “familiar,” now also turns its gaze toward the virtual, digital footprint of collective human activity. We are transitioning from the era of digital tradition to an era where technology serves not only as a medium or context for the evolution and transformation of contemporary folk culture but—albeit creatively mediated—emerges as a co-creator.
In this context, organizing a second conference on Digital Folklore was deemed essential to continue the dialogue between technology and folk culture. This time, the focus shifts to current developments, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) -the most recent and rapidly advancing technological achievement- posing new questions regarding creativity, authenticity, cultural memory, and collective identity.
The aim of the conference is to examine how, within the framework of folk creation, technology transforms the human relationship with art, discourse, humor, and storytelling.
The conference will take place on the island of Rhodes, Greece, on October 16–17, 2026. The final day of the conference (October 18, 2026) will be held on the island of Halki. The organizers will arrange for the transportation and return of the delegates to and from Halki.
Certificates of attendance or presentation will be awarded to all participants.
The conference welcomes papers addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Theoretical and epistemological issues in Digital Folklore.
- The dissemination, diffusion, and transformations of folk culture in the virtual world.
- Digital Cultural Heritage.
- New developments and challenges in the era of Artificial Intelligence.
- Digital Folklore in formal education, non-formal education, and informal learning.
