The Portuguese Catholic University is attuned to the world around it, and it was with this in mind that it established the Institute of Computing and Data Science. This institute focuses on two interconnected fields that are of immense importance both now and in the future. The ongoing digitization of processes—both in the workplace and in our personal lives—has changed and will continue to change the relationship we humans have with computers. More recently, this human-machine relationship has been undergoing a profound transformation driven by artificial intelligence.

This institute offers theoretical and technical courses and training programs in the fields of computer science and data science, including artificial intelligence. Its goal is to equip tomorrow’s professionals with the fundamentals and the latest technologies. But this transformation of the human-machine relationship requires us to consider the labor, social, cultural, and ethical changes that these technologies bring about. Thus, the institute aims to establish itself as a space that fosters reflection on these changes, so that teaching people how to do things goes hand in hand with reflecting on what is being done and on the many implications for human beings.