The release of ChatGPT in November 2022 marked a pivotal moment for educational technology, sparking intense debates about the implications of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) for teaching and learning. This study investigates how the distance education research community responded to this disruption. We considered the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) conference one of the main European forums for digital learning and, therefore, a reflection of current educational discourse. To explore this discourse, we illustrate the thematic evolution of EDEN conference contributions from 2023 to 2025. Using bibliometric text mining and co-occurrence network analysis, we examined 458 conference contributions (including full papers, concise papers, and posters) to identify dominant discourse clusters and shifts in research focus over time. Our analysis uncovers four main thematic clusters: (1) Generative AI in Education, (2) Learning Experience and Future Skills, (3) Digital Competence and Professional Development, and (4) Online and Open Education. An overlay visualisation shows a notable shift from pandemic-related topics (COVID, online learning, distance education) towards GenAI-related concerns (ChatGPT, AI literacy, ethics). These findings indicate that the EDEN research community has rapidly moved from post-pandemic consolidation to addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by GenAI in education. However, this raises questions about whether the pandemic period has yet been fully synthesised.