Post by UCL Computer Science

📹 Watch the recording of the Kirstein Lecture 2026: Designing Robots, Designing Society: Opportunity or Automating Inequality? What kind of society do robots help create? That was the question at the heart of this year's Peter Kirstein Lecture, UCL Computer Science's flagship annual lecture series, held this year as part of #UCL200 and in honour of Professor Peter Kirstein, pioneering computer scientist and the founding head of UCL Computer Science Dr Katie Winkle (Uppsala University) challenged us to think beyond what robots can do and consider how their design shapes people's behaviour, assumptions and the future we build. She explored how robots are more than useful machines. As social actors, they can influence the way we interact with technology, reinforce or challenge stereotypes, and even change attitudes. Drawing on research from healthcare and education, she argued that engineers should ask not only whether a robot works, but who it works for, whose labour it relies on, and what assumptions are built into its design. The lecture concluded with a call for a more ambitious vision of robotics: one that supports meaningful human activity, inclusion and wellbeing, and draws on perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, design, ethics and the arts alongside engineering and computer science. The evening also featured a thought-provoking fireside conversation and Q&A with Professor Yvonne Rogers FRS and Dr Victoria Austin, exploring the societal impact of robotics and AI. You can now read more about the evening and watch the full lecture, fireside chat and Q&A, browse our photo highlights and read more about the event: https://lnkd.in/dmgpiShQ UCL Engineering | Daniel Tozadore | He Ye | R. Maria del Rio-Chanona | Daniel Alexander | UCL Interaction Centre (UCLIC) | Global Disability Innovation Hub | UCL Grand Challenges #UCL200 #Robotics #AI #HumanRobotInteraction #ResponsibleAI #HumanComputerInteraction #SocialRobots