HumanTech Meetings II: From Myths and Legends to Robots. Ethics in Designing Artificial Beings
Robots, especially those taking on humanoid forms, evoke various emotions—from fear to curiosity and even a desire for friendship. In our upcoming HumanTech Meeting, we will delve into the ethical considerations surrounding the creation of androids. Join us as we navigate this complex issue our distinguished guests, Dr. Kamil Mamak and Dr. David J. Gunkel.
Robot Ethics
Is the development of human-like robots a boundary-pushing endeavor, akin to playing God? Or is it merely facilitating our interaction with machines? These questions are at the heart of the first of this year's HumanTech Meetings, where we confront the dilemmas associated with humanoid robots. Renowned specialists, Dr. Kamil Mamak from the University of Helsinki and Jagiellonian University, and Dr. David J. Gunkel from the University of Northern Illinois, will share their expertise.
The lectures will be followed by a panel discussion, exploring the latest report by the HumanTech Center and the IDEAS NCBR Ltd, titled "What do Poles think about robots?" moderated by Dr. Krzysztof Walas.
Dr. Konrad Maj, Head of the Center for Social and Technological Innovation HumanTech at SWPS University, will open the meeting.
Lectures will be held in Polish and English and will be translated simultaneously.
The event is held under the auspices of Strefa Technologii (Technology Zone) of SWPS University
HumanTech Meetings
We live in an era of innovation, technological progress and digitalization. This current innovation drive may lead to unpredictable psychological and social outcomes. Therefore, it is crucial to establish collaborations between engineers, programmers, IT specialists and social scientists during initial phases of any new projects related to development of new technologies or services. Such collaborations may help to avoid mistakes and can support better development of new ideas.
The project is planned as a series of meetings, gathering academics and professionals from the technology sector from Poland and other countries. Each meeting will include two lectures, one delivered by a speaker from Poland and one presented by a guest from another country. The lectures will be followed by panel discussions, where panelists will represent different approaches to innovation and technology.
HumanTech Meetings is a project of SWPS University's Center for Social and Technological Innovation.
Keynote Speakers
Konrad Maj is the Head of the HumanTech Center, Head of the HumanTech Meetings project, and an assistant professor at the Department of Social Psychology of SWPS University's Faculty of Psychology in Warsaw. His research interests focus on the social and psychological aspects of new technologies, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), metaverse, and robotics. He also conducts research in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). He is a member of the Metaversum Committee within the Digital Poland Association and the Expert Team on Technology and Democracy of the Batory Foundation. He was recognized as one of the 25 top alumni of the 25th Jubilee of SWPS University. In 2023, the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education awarded him the title "Popularizer of Science."
Sonia Ziemba-Domańska is an accomplished psychologist, neuropsychologist, and integrative psychotherapist currently pursuing IPZ PSP certification. She is also an academic psychologist at the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology and a lecturer at the Faculty of New Media Arts. Sonia specializes in various therapeutic techniques such as Biofeedback therapy, TSR, TPT, XRTherapy, TUS, and TKZ. Sonia is actively involved in implementing behavioral addiction prevention programs. Sonia is a regular contributor to the Polish monthly psychology magazine Sens. She collaborates with the HumanTech Center and has a keen interest in science, development, robot therapy, artificial intelligence, and its applications in psychotherapy. Despite her diverse interests, her primary focus remains on understanding human behavior. Sonia is the author of the hybrid love theory and has developed a unique method of working with patients based on lowering brainwave frequency. Beyond her professional pursuits, Sonia is an avid marathon runner and CrossFit enthusiast.
Krzysztof Walas holds a master's degree in automation and robotics from Poznan University of Technology (PUT), where he later obtained his Ph.D. in robotics, with honors, in 2012. He earned the degree for his thesis on legged robot locomotion in structured environments earned him the prestigious degree. Afterward, he completed his postdoctoral research at the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory of the University of Birmingham's School of Computer Science. Currently, he leads the robotics team at IDEAS-NCBR and is an assistant professor at PUT's Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence. His research interests mainly focus on robotic perception for physical interaction, specifically on walking and grasping tasks. He received a LEADER grant from the National Center for Research and Development in Poland. He was the Principal Investigator for the Horizon 2020 THING project on subterranean-legged locomotion. He is currently working on deformable object manipulation as the Principal Investigator of the Horizon 2020 REMODEL project.
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Organizer
Center for Social and Technological Innovation HumanTech
Partners
Sponsor
Date and location
Februrary 1, 2024 (Thursday), 17:00–20:00 CET (UTC+1)
online
Contact
E-mail: ci@swps.edu.pl
In 2021, the HumanTech Meetings project was granted an additional PLN 250,000 (EUR 52 828,75) by the Ministry of Education and Science (MEiN), as part of the funding scheme “Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki – Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu” (Social responsibility of science – Popularization of science and sport), (project no. SONP/SN/514650/2021), project duration: 2022-2023, total value: PLN 305,472 (EUR 65 251,67).
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