Every so often, a cultural moment cuts right to the heart of our research. The “2016 is the new 2026” trend is one of those moments, representing a seemingly spontaneous longing for a pre-algorithmic, pre-AI internet. In the January edition of her newsletter Research & Realities , our postdoctoral researcher, Navya Sharan , offers a human-machine communication perspective on why so many people are reaching back toward a version of the internet that felt more human. The nostalgia , she...

On 26 February 2026 , the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW) hosts the public event “AI will always love you” at the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam . The evening examines how we build relationships with machines such as robots and chatbots, and whether these interactions influence our human connections. Prof. dr. Elly Konijn and dr. Tessa Beinema will be speaking at this event. Elly Konijn will address the psychological dynamics of human-robot interaction, drawing on...

sHAI members Tibor Bosse and Evelien Heijselaar will discuss this question with AI program developer Sander Veenhof and AI and law expert Jessie Levano on Tuesday, February 17th, during the VPRO Meet Up "AI as Friend, Therapist, or Partner" at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam . The discussion will be in Dutch, and will be moderated by Charley Fiedeldij Dop. More information about the evening can be found at: https://dezwijger.nl/programma/ai-als-vriend-therapeut-of-partner