Robophilosophy Conference 2026

The Robophilosophy Conference 2026, "Connected Futures: Nature, Robots, and Society," will explore the profound transformations occurring at the intersection of technological innovation, the shaping of future societies, and increased concerns about natural degradation. As robotic systems become increasingly integrated into every facet of human life, this conference will create the urgently needed space for informed and meaningful research exchange and dialogue across all relevant disciplines—from social robotics, computer science, and HRI, to the humanities and social sciences, but also law, economics, ecology and climate research.

We invite researchers to join us to address the fundamental questions that will shape our collective future. How do we design robotic systems that respect human dignity, autonomy, and social justice? What legal frameworks must evolve to address accountability when autonomous agents make consequential decisions? Can robots contribute to environmental restoration and sustainability, or will they accelerate ecological degradation? How will automation reshape labor markets, economic inequality, the meaning of work itself, and caring relationships?  Beyond technical capabilities, we ask: What responsibilities do we bear toward the artificial agents we create? How might robots, and the connectedness of the AI that drives them, challenge or reinforce existing power structures? What does coexistence mean when intelligence takes multiple forms? How do different cultural, philosophical, and religious traditions inform our relationship with machines? To what extent is universal design for robotics/AI-driven devices, homes, cities and communities resilient and responsive to risks and uncertainties? And crucially, how can interdisciplinary collaboration help us navigate the tensions between innovation and preservation, efficiency and equity, progress and precaution?

RP2026, which is the seventh event in th Robophilosophy Conference Series, is a research conference that calls on researchers, developers, and policymakers, to examine these questions together. Our aim is to advance our understanding of the opportunities, risks, and new directions of social robotics, but also to deepen our collective wisdom about what it means to share our world—technologically, socially, economically, legally, ecologically, and intellectually —with the autonomous systems we bring into being. Join us in envisioning connected futures that honour both human flourishing and the natural world we inhabit.