Limits of the future human to be discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

Today, technology is penetrating into the very core of human beings — into our bodies, our thinking, and even our perception of reality. We have simultaneously become the authors and the subjects of these changes. And the faster we move forward, the easier it is to lose the human within ourselves. How can a person remain human in an era of rapid technological transformation? This will be the focus of the Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA on 26 September, under the thematic vector "Limits of the Human." Registration for the event is now open to all on the russia.ru website.

The thematic direction "Inventing the Future: Limits of the Human" will address the central question: can progress expand human capabilities while preserving our ability to create, to feel, to choose, and to remain ourselves? Participants can look forward to a packed day: three thematic blocks, leading experts from different countries, and an interactive illusionist show that will continue the conversation about the limits of human perception through wonder.

The first block, "The Thinking Human," focuses on the fact that the ability to think and be self-aware has always been what sets humans apart from animals and machines. It is humans who create meanings that cannot be reduced to calculation. But today we have a new tool. Algorithms and artificial intelligence are taking on more and more work, including intellectual labour, and are gradually penetrating processes we have always considered our own. Which abilities should we develop now to ensure that humans remain the authors of meaning, while machines and algorithms serve as our tools? The central speaker of this block, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Comparative Neurology and Associate Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University Suzana Herculano-Houzel (USA), along with physician, neuroscientist, and lecturer at the Natalia Bekhtereva Training Centre Vladimir Alipov, will share their perspectives.

The second block, "The Creating Human," explores how the world is accelerating, and with it, anxiety is growing — further amplified by the virtual environment. Creation becomes the answer to stress and destruction. When we share it with others, it makes us stronger. Psychologist, candidate of sociological sciences, author of books on psychology, and business coach Anetta Orlova, along with Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Systems and Technologies at the University of Malaya Amirrudin Kamsin (Malaysia), will share insights on how to recognise overload in time, build a meaningful relationship with the digital environment, and find grounding to maintain the strength to create and move forward.

The third block, "Homo Sapiens or Homo Technologicus," explores how neural interfaces, bionic prosthetics, and exoskeletons are already blurring the line between body and technology. What norms and values can help us avoid crossing the line? This will be discussed by Mikhail Lebedev, Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chief Researcher and Head of the Neurotechnology Laboratory at the Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Romulo Fuentes Flores, Professor of Neuroscience at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile.

The atmosphere of the future will be further enhanced by a performance by illusionists, whose art is based on the imperfections of our perception. We do not notice every detail and fill in the picture ourselves. Their tricks will remind us that it is in our capacity to wonder that we remain most human.

The Open Lecture Hall "Inventing the Future" is an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA, which premiered on 7 February 2026. The event brings together experts from different countries to jointly design positive scenarios for the future and maintain dialogue with the global professional community across various spheres of society. The Lecture Hall builds on the ideas of the International Symposium "Inventing the Future" regarding scenarios for tomorrow that unite key directions of human development — from culture and creativity to science and technology.

Join the dialogue about what tomorrow will look like. The number of places at the Lecture Hall is limited, so do not delay your registration.