First-ever sHAI Summer Workshop a success!

On August 27th, the sHAI Group hosted its very first Summer Workshop, bringing together researchers interested in one of the most rapidly developing topics in Human-Machine Communication: the future of synthetic relationships. Held at the beautiful Conference Center Soeterbeeck in Ravenstein, the workshop provided a welcoming environment for researchers across career stages to exchange ideas, share work, and discuss the future of human-AI interaction.

The workshop was organized around two complementary parts. During the morning and early afternoon, researchers presented their work on topics ranging from AI communication with people with dementia and mind perception in AI systems to workplace AI, chatbot persuasion, virtual caregivers, and relational harms in synthetic relationships. Each presentation sparked lively discussions and raised new questions about how humans relate to increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

The second half of the day was dedicated to open discussion. Starting from three broad questions about the future of synthetic relationships, participants reflected on topics such as autonomy, regulation, privacy, sustainability, power, and the changing nature of human-machine interaction. The conversation repeatedly highlighted the importance of bringing together perspectives from communication science, psychology, computer science, ethics, law, and other disciplines

More than anything, the workshop demonstrated the value of creating space for researchers to think collectively about emerging challenges in human-AI interaction. While conference presentations often focus on completed studies, the open discussion format encouraged participants to step back and reflect on broader questions, challenge assumptions, connect ideas across disciplines, and explore where the field should go next. The combination of research presentations and extended discussion proved especially valuable, generating conversations that continued well beyond the scheduled sessions. As the first edition of the sHAI Summer Workshop, the event exceeded our expectations and highlighted a clear interest in having dedicated opportunities for in-depth exchange on emerging topics in Human-Machine Communication. The enthusiasm of participants has inspired us to make this an ongoing initiative, and we are already looking forward to bringing the community together again for a second summer workshop next year.