Workshops

This workshop brings together philosophers, roboticists, ethicists and legal scholars to explore how diverse robotic technologies—including collaborative systems, humanoid platforms, bio-inspired designs of machines—interact with human motion, autonomy and relational dynamics in professional, medical, and everyday contexts. From industrial cobots assisting operators in precision tasks to bio-inspired robots mimicking organic adaptability and exoskeletons reducing physical strain, these technologies challenge our understanding of skill, agency, and the embodied dimensions of human action, while raising questions about the role of legal frameworks in fostering innovation without stifling development.

By examining these interactions, we seek to clarify the philosophical, anthropological, ethical, and legal implications of embodied robotics, particularly in relation to the unity of body and mind as a foundational framework for human experience and embodiment.

Key Questions for Open Debate

1. Interaction and Autonomy: In what ways do embodied robotic systems—such as industrial cobots, humanoid assistants, or bio-inspired robots—reshape the relationship between human operators and machines?
2. Ethical Risks and Ontological Distinctions: What ethical considerations arise when designing robots that interact closely with humans, regarding the risks of anthropomorphism and the need for clear ontological distinctions?
3. Technical Standards, Mutual Adaptation, and Legal Frameworks: How might technical standards account for the dynamic nature of human-machine interaction while balancing regulatory intervention with innovation?

Format

• Keynote lectures by experts in robot ethics, embodied AI and philosophy of technology.
• Short talks on case studies (industrial, medical, artisanal) and anthropological critiques of robotics.

Whether you wish to present a 10-minute short talk or simply attend the workshop, registration is required. Submit your abstract or register as an attendee to join the discussion.

Participants to the workshop should first register to the conference here.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding across sectors, including those with significant environmental implications. While AI can support improved decision-making in areas such as climate modelling, resource management, and environmental monitoring, its deployment is also associated with a growing environmental footprint (energy consumption, water use, material demand, and e-waste linked to AI infrastructure and systems).

Recent global discussions, including the recently adopted UNEA 7 resolution on the Sustainability of AI, have highlighted the need to strengthen the evidence based on the environmental implications of AI. This session explores pathways for more responsible, sustainable, and inclusive AI deployment, moving towards actionable best practices that mitigate environmental impacts while maintaining the benefits of AI.

Objective: The session aims to explore the environmental implications of AI systems particularly in relation to energy use, water consumption, material demand, and e-waste alongside their potential to support environmental sustainability, and to identify practical pathways for more responsible, sustainable, and inclusive AI deployment.

Expected Outcome: The session will strengthen the capacity of policy and corporate actors to integrate sustainability considerations into AI development and deployment, supporting more responsible and environmentally aligned practices.