What happens when AI moves from the lab into the workplace? How does it affect autonomy, safety, skills, trust and the way people work?
These questions will be at the centre of SEISMEC’s participation in AI Hype, Hope and Humanity, taking place from 30 September to 2 October 2026 at De Doelen in Rotterdam. The three-day festival brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and wider society to discuss responsible AI in practice, from its current use across areas such as work, health, education and media to the skills and approaches needed for its responsible implementation.
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Across three days, SEISMEC partners will contribute research and practical perspectives on human-centric AI and Industry 5.0 through workshops, panels, an academic presentation and four posters.
From AI literacy and the changing role of HR to occupational safety, worker perceptions and standards for responsible technology, the contributions connect directly with SEISMEC’s work on placing people at the centre of technological implementation.
Panels, workshops and presentations
| Contribution | SEISMEC participation | When |
| Workshop: Teach the Machine, the Machine Teaches You: Mutual Learning with AI | Jan Laurijssen, SD Worx | 30 September, 14:00–15:30 |
| Paper talk: Reshaping rather than reducing risks: Occupational Safety and Health in Human-Centric Technology Implementation | Denise Harkema, Mairi Bowdler and Diane Confurius, TNO | 30 September, 16:00–16:10 |
| Panel: When Not to Use AI: Difficult Choices in the Era of AI Overload | Jason Pridmore, Erasmus University
Moderator: Andy Sanchez, Erasmus University |
1 October, 9:30–10:45 |
| Panel: You’re Not My Supervisor: On AI, Human Resource Management, and Broader Socioeconomic Impacts | Moderator: Jason Pridmore, Erasmus University | 1 October, 14:00–15:15 |
| Panel: Opening the Black Box: Developing AI Literacy for Responsible Use | Nikos Militsis, CERTH | 2 October, 09:00–10:15 |
SEISMEC research on display
The academic poster sessions will provide another opportunity to explore SEISMEC research in more detail. Three SEISMEC-related posters will be presented on 30 September as part of the Impacts of AI on Youth, Education & Workforce session, followed by a fourth contribution on 1 October within AI ELSA Frameworks and Methods.
| Poster | Researchers | When |
| #138 Mapping Baseline Perceptions of Industry 5.0 Technology: A Survey Design for Pilot Organisations | Siobhan O’Neill and Ken Brown, UCC | 30 September, 12:30–13:30 |
| #137 Fairness, Trust and Understanding as Preconditions and Predictors for Industry 5.0 AI Adoption | Siobhan O’Neill et al, UCC | 30 September, 12:30–13:30 |
| #120 Balancing Technical and Social Aspect: A Shared KPI Framework for Human-Centric Technology Across 17 Pilots | Arina Rahma, Quang Thanh Ngo and Nayab Bushra, TU Berlin | 30 September, 12:30–13:30 |
| #78 Evaluating the fit of standards for human-centric AI and digital implementation | Steven Dhondt et al. TNO | 1 October, 12:30–13:30 |
Across these contributions, SEISMEC will bring evidence from its research and industrial pilots into the wider debate on responsible AI, with a particular focus on what technological implementation means for workers and organisations in practice.