​ABQ.Dialogues #9/10 - The End of Medicine as We Know It

A philosopher who redesigns what it means to be human. A surgeon who operates with AI that sees beyond the human eye. One evening in Timișoara where these two worlds collide.

On 30 June 2026, ABQ Dialogues brings together Stefan Lorenz Sorgner — Europe's leading philosopher of transhumanism — and Michele Diana — Scientific Director of IRCAD Strasbourg and a pioneer of AI-guided surgery — for a rare public conversation on the transformation already underway inside medicine, philosophy, and technology.

What happens to healing when a machine sees better than the surgeon?
What happens to "do no harm" when there is no fixed human nature left to protect?
Who controls this transition — and for what kind of human being?

These questions don't have clean answers. This evening won't pretend they do.

The format is a 90-minute public fireside chat, moderated by Andrei Nuțaș. No lecture, no panel — a live dialogue between two specialists from worlds that rarely share a stage at this caliber. The audience is the third voice in the room: interventions are woven into the conversation as it unfolds, not saved for the end.

Three tensions. Three intersections.

​→ Medicine × Technology — AI in the operating room: hyperspectral imaging, surgical robotics, hybrid decision-making. Who is responsible when the algorithm guides the blade?
→ Medicine × Philosophy — The line between therapy and enhancement is dissolving. Sorgner's transhumanism assumes a malleable human. The Hippocratic oath assumes a given one.
→ Philosophy × Technology — Euro-transhumanism versus Silicon Valley's version: democratic, pluralist, socially embedded versus individualistic, exit-oriented. Identical technology, radically different ethics.

​Speakers/Guests

​Stefan Lorenz Sorgner is Professor of Philosophy at John Cabot University in Rome, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Posthuman Studies, and author of On Transhumanism (Penn State UP) and We Have Always Been Cyborgs (Bristol UP). He coined the term Euro-transhumanism and sits on the advisory board of the International Society for Medical AI.

Michele Diana is Scientific Director of IRCAD Strasbourg, Staff Surgeon at Strasbourg University Hospital, and researcher at ICube Lab. With 250+ peer-reviewed papers and an h-index of 35, his work defines the frontier where the operating room meets AI: image-guided surgery, fluorescence imaging, surgical robotics, deep learning applied to clinical decision-making.

​Dr. Andrei Nuțaș an ethics researcher specializing in transhumanism and AI alignment, and former ABQ Dialogues speaker. As moderator, his role is to open paths rather than draw conclusions, keeping the tensions alive and weaving audience interventions into the flow of the conversation.

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​About ABQ.Dialogues

​The ABQ Dialogues are a human-centric conversation series where diverse voices explore how emerging technologies reshape the fundamental aspects of our lived experience and collective future.

​The Dialogues follow ABQ’s main pillars: education, entrepreneurship, and societal impact by bringing together diverse professional voices in a progressive learning journey. We aim to highlight technology’s impact, creating deeper understanding of how AI, Blockchain, Bio-engineering, and Quantum Computing are reshaping our world.

​The Dialogues prioritize how these innovations impact the most fundamental aspects of human experience. From healthcare systems and longevity to artistic expression, psychological well-being, social connections, and community faith structures, we explore both current changes and future implications for how we live, work, create, and find meaning. The Dialogues prioritize people over technology, ensuring that human values and needs guide our collective understanding of technological transformation.

​Events Format

​We propose a monthly conversation series that creates space for dialogue between experts and the public. Each session combines expert presentations with interactive questions and answers, open discussions, and networking opportunities that promote community connections. We believe this format encourages inclusive participation, amplifying voices from multiple sectors and backgrounds while building knowledge progressively across the series.

​Our goal is to generate practical insights that serve individuals navigating technological change, community leaders shaping local responses, and organizations implementing new technologies.

​After each dialogue, we publish findings for public access, followed by a written article and audio version on our Substack, with human review and refinement from contributors and panelists.

​ABQ.Dialogues are a 10-part monthly event series, with 3-hour sessions divided between expert conversations, public interventions, and networking.

​If you want, I can now make this more provocative and punchier, in a style that is better optimized for registrations.

​Made possible by our partners:

• ​Visma Romania – Main sponsor, leading business software development company

• ​Growceanu – Platform for accessing high-growth investments.

• ​Faber – Host venue, independent cultural center and community hub

​The ABQ.Institute Team