Making Work Worth Doing – Teaming with Robots and AI: New STS Principles in Theory and Practice — 25 June, 2026

A lively panel discussion exploring how sociotechnical systems principles apply to human-robot teams and AI. The conversation covers trust, autonomy, collaborative sensemaking, human-centered design, and the real-world challenges of working with AI in organizations, construction, research, and leadership.

 

Held in partnership with the Tavistock Institute, this session brought together an exceptional group of contributors:

 

Keynote speakers
Helen Hughes — Interdisciplinary Organisational Psychologist, University of Leeds
Shankar Sankaran — Professor of Organizational Project Management, University of Technology Sydney

Panellists
Henrietta Hale — Tavistock Institute / Centre for Dance Research, University of Coventry
Francis Irving — Principal Software Engineer, multi-agent systems
Carly Riehle — Human-Centred Design Strategist and STS Roundtable President
Tomasz Hollanek — Technology Ethics Specialist, University of Cambridge

Our thanks to everyone who joined and shared their questions and experience, and to Annja Neumann of the Tavistock Institute, whose vision and leadership made this collaboration a great success.